


The Breeding Project

by Octopusfan13



Series: The Breeding Project [1]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Comedy, Completed, Drama, M/M, Mating, Mpreg, RaPr, Romance, ZaDr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-07-16 11:59:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 138,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16085657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Octopusfan13/pseuds/Octopusfan13
Summary: (Re-post from FFN, Special Edition: drawings and author comments! with slight editing: grammar, wording, no content changes)It finally happened. The smeeteries ran out of DNA. It was no question that Red and Purple would be among the elite Irken chosen by the Control Brains to create the next generation of smeets. However, Red did something that would forever change their partnership. He told the Control Brains of Purple's deepest darkest secret, that he was a recessive-gendered Irken.





	1. That Would Have Been Nice To Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Re-post from FFN, Special Edition! with slight editing: grammar, wording, no content changes)
> 
> Chapter One!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm bringing this over from FFN. The story is completed there but I will be re-posting the chapters here. This re-post is allowing me to go through and tweak and edit the story a little more. I will also be making some art to go with each re-posted chapter. I also have a tumblr ask for this story "The Breeding Project Ask" with some more art and small writing things. I'm currently back up on asks, but my goal is to answer them all some with drawings some with writing responses. 
> 
> Please leave comments, let me know what you think, reactions or questions. One reason I'm switching over to post here is that I like how the comments are set up and that I can reply directly instead of just in story notes.
> 
> In the ending notes I'm going to have something like the commentary you'd see in a film where I'll talk more about my own thoughts on the chapter and my creative process. 
> 
> My goal is to have two re-posted chapters a week with a drawing (very rough sketches at most to help me practice and get better) to go with each. Help me stay on task! Comments are tasty tasty fuel to keep me motivated!

Purple hovered over to the couch in the common area of their Tallest Chambers. Turning off the hoverbelt he plopped down on the soft and comfortable piece of furniture. His two fingered hand reached out, almost on its own accord, towards the plate of donuts on the small table in front of him. Hooking his fingers around two of them he pulled his hand back and began munching on the sweets. Being the Tallest meant that he almost constantly needed to intake sugar. At their height their bodies almost instantly burned the sugar into fuel and they needed an insane amount of fuel to keep their bodies from shutting down, which was why most Tallest were oddly thin. Purple could go about one hour without sugar before he started to feel the effects of deprivation.

To make sure their Tallest wouldn't waste away food drones came in daily to stock their chambers with numerous piles of sweets and snacks. Purple was never more than an arm's reach away from a snack. Snacking came almost as naturally and unconsciously as breathing to him. So the fact that he was snacking while simultaneously having an internal meltdown wasn't unusual.

Back on Irk the unthinkable had happened, the smeeteries had run out of viable Irken DNA. Well, it wasn't entirely _unthinkable_ as the scientists and researchers in charge of the smeeteries predicted that this would happen. The cloning facilities could only make so many billions of Irkens before the crop of DNA they had lost its effectiveness. Unfortunately, they couldn't just take DNA from existing Irkens because they needed fresh, non-cloned Irken DNA. So the Control Brains, upon receiving this report, declared a state of race-wide emergency and went into computing mode for three days while they came up with a plan.

They declared that Operation Impending Doom 2 would be put on hold for 8760 hours, or 1/10 of an Irk year. During this time specific Irkens chosen by the Control Brain were to be gathered together and their reproductive functioning activated. On Irk they would pair off and produce a generation of smeets that would then provide DNA samples for cloning.

Of course Red and Purple were among the Irkens on the list chosen by the Control Brains. This knowledge hadn't bothered or surprised Purple. They _were_ the tallest Irkens alive and _of course_ the Control Brains would want their DNA for the next generation of smeets. All the called for Irkens were ordered to return to Irk where there would be a 760 hour period for them to mingle and pair off. Apparently it was important for the reproductive partners to be willing and compatible in order for the smeets to grow successfully.

The Control Brains wanted them to turn the entire armada around immediately to return to Irk as they would need to be protected on their way back. Red whined at the Control Brains to let him and Purple stay on the Massive and for the armada to continue its course for the allotted time and send the other Irkens to Irk on their own. The Control Brains refused on the basis that the Irkens among the armada that were chosen happened to be all male and thus couldn’t reproduce with them. They further said it would be inefficient to send all the female Irkens to the Massive for them to choose their partners.

Then Red then did the unthinkable and this time it _was_ unthinkable because he betrayed Purple in the worst possible way. Red informed the Control Brains that Purple was one of rare types of Irkens that happened to be female-recessive.  So, he suggested, couldn't he and Purple pair off here on the Massive instead of returning to Irk?

Purple had been so utterly shocked that he hadn't even noticed the Control Brains plugging into his PAK and running a through bio-scan to affirm Red's claim. Being female-recessive meant that Purple had both female and male organs. However, he was male-dominant and female-recessive which meant that the female organs had remained inactive his entire lifespan, thus making him appear and identify with purely male.

Usually gender didn't matter, it made no difference if an Irken was male or female each was treated the same to the Empire. However, it was whispered that those rare Irkens that happened to be born with both sets were born from some sort of genetic mutation and thus defects. This was far from true, as it was completely normal for this to occur, it was just much less likely genetically.

In fact, if all Irkens were born naturally there would have been more multi-gendered Irkens as about 1/3 of naturally born Irkens are recessive-female/male. Another third would be bi-female/male (meaning that both sets were active) but due to some side-effect in the cloning process bi-gendered types were non-existent and it was about a 1 to 10,000 chance that a recessive Irken would be created in the smeeteries. Because it didn't matter if an Irken had a recessive gender, it wasn't encoded into a PAK's dominant memory that the host had extra organs. In fact there were probably many Irkens out there that had no idea they were recessive.

Purple had only discovered his recessive gender as a fresh elite soldier after getting into an horrible accident on an enemy planet. He had been almost gutted and the medic drone that helped heal him had commented on his rarity and explained its meaning to the confused Purple. Purple viewed it as a defect, an abnormality, though the medic had done everything to convince him otherwise. At the time Purple was very tall for his age and the idea of eventually becoming a Tallest was in the forefront of his mind and he thought he couldn't let anyone find out.  In a moment of blind panic, Purple permanently silenced the medic drone.

It wasn't until the day before his and Red's Tallest naming ceremony that Purple confessed his condition to his future co-leader. He had worked himself into a frenzied panic over not being 'fit' to be a Tallest. Enough so that Red (his companion since they were smeets) had finally pried the truth out of him. It eased Purple's nerves that the thing which upset Red the most was that Purple hadn't told him about it before. Red then declared that there should be no secrets between them, but he did agree to keep Purple's recessive gender a secret from everyone else.

A 'Tallest Secret' is fine, he told Purple. They were going to be the leaders of the Irken race, it was completely expected that there would be things only they should know. So when Red casually told their 'Tallest Secret' Purple had been shocked. The Control Brains, after confirming Red's claim decided that it would be very beneficial to have Irken DNA that had plenty of tall genes in it. They did ask if Purple had any objections, but he had been too shocked to reply. By the time he recovered Purple was already was back in the Tallest Chambers and had two donuts hooked on his fingers.

How _dare_ Red give away his secret like that? Purple fumed silently to himself while munching on the snacks. And so thoughtlessly! All because Red was too lazy to return to Irk! Now the Control Brains knew about him and it wouldn't take long for it to get out to everyone else. The specialized medic drone was already on his way from Irk, the Control Brains had taken care of that personally. Maybe Purple could threaten the medic into _not_ activating his recessive organs and then report to the Control Brains that the bio-scans were wrong. Or maybe he could just kill the medic when he came.

Going back to the Control Brains and telling them he didn't agree was out of the question. They only made a decision once. They wouldn't go back and change it over something as trivial as Purple changing his mind, especially as it had been his fault for not speaking up in the first place. Besides they seemed very enthused about a smeet created by the two Tallest and praised Red extensively for the idea. Red preened under the Control Brains' compliments and had the _Irken_ arrogance to smile at him in an aren't-I-great-for-thinking-of-this way. Just thinking about it filled Purple with rage.

Purple heard the door to their chambers _whoosh_ open and Red whistled an upbeat melody as he hovered in. Red had gone ahead to alert the navigator to stop the armada and go into idle mode while they waited for the medic drone to arrive. He also handed in the list of Irkens that were to be sent back to Irk.

Seeing Purple on the couch he hovered over and sat next to him, turning off his hover belt as he let his head fall onto the back of the couch. "It took forever to explain to the navigation drones why we had to stall our advance. They thought it was something they had done wrong and were all clamoring at once trying to appease me, heh," Red chuckled at the memory. "They were stepping all over each other begging for forgiveness. They settled down once I explained the Control Brains' orders. Pur, you should've seen their faces when I told them we'd be making a smeet destined to be the next Tallest."

Purple dropped the donut he was holding, it bounced off his lap and onto the floor. Red watched it fall then turned a concerned look to his counterpart. He'd never seen Purple drop any snack before. Purple stared at Red, his entire body going into a shocked state, eyes wide he stared at Red.

"You told them about me?" Purple asked, carefully forming the words, it took a significant amount of effort to speak. The words almost had weight to them, making his tongue heavy.

"Yeah?" Red answered still worried about the dropped donut and not picking up on the oddness to Purple's voice.

"Why?" Purple asked trying to keep the deep betrayal he felt out of his voice.

"The Control Brains already know and the medic is only about 50 hours away. Everyone will know whats going on soon. I didn't see a point in waiting for them to make an official announcement," Red frowned. "Did you want to be there to see their faces too? Sorry, Pur. I can show you my PAK memory if you want."

"The Control Brains only knew because _you_ told them," Purple said unable to keep the harsh tone out of his voice and honestly he didn't feel the need to hold back.

Red flinched, unused to hearing Purple speak that way and especially not to him. "What?" he said getting defensive. "It's not like it was a big deal to tell them. Instead of wasting all that time going back to Irk just to pair up with some short female, we can stay here and pair up with each other. Wouldn't it be neat if we made a smeet destined to be a tallest?"

"For you maybe, you're not the one with the parts," Purple snapped.

"Why are you—Oh," Red said his face lighting up with understanding. He smirked at his co-leader. "You're thinking about that movie, right? 'It Came from Within Me', that scene where the parasite growing in the female's stomach ate its way out of her body splattering her insides everywhere? C'mon, Pur, that won't happen. The medic will stay on board until the smeet is ready to harvest."

Purple's eyes widened. He hadn't been thinking of that at all, but now that Red mentioned it the scene played fresh in his memory. It was easy to imagine himself in the female's place. That could happen! This was all the more reason that this was a horrible idea. Now he had a good excuse to go to the Control Brains, he was much too important of a Irken for him to create a smeet. His life should not be risked, surely they hadn't thought about that. Purple didn't reply to Red, he stood and ran out of their chambers.

The fact that he was running and not using the hover belt was even more of a reason for Red to become concerned. Purple was acting really weird. Turning on his own belt, he raced after Purple. By the time he caught up, Purple had pushed his way into the Control Brains' room.

Bursting through the doors Purple ran up to the railing in front of the Brains.

"Hey! HEY!" Purple called out waving an arm around to gain their attention. The three Control Brains on board the Massive hummed to life, coming out of inactive mode.

" _Tallest Purple, you do not have an appointment_ ," the center Control Brain said after a quick scan of its schedule.

"No, but this is urgent," Purple said and stopped waving his arms now that he had their attention. "I want you to reevaluate your decision about the smeet making. I'm a Tallest, what if the growth of it kills me? I can't be risked, let some smaller Irken be the host!"

Red hovered in and heard Purple's protest and join his co-leader at the railing, "Control Brains, he's just thinking of a movie. Such a thing can't happen, it's fine," he said trying to be the voice of reason.

The Control Brains hummed as they computed Purple's request. "Request denied," the left Control Brain said after a short moment. "We have calculated the risk of a Tallest barring a smeet. In the event that Tallest Purple becomes incapacitated due to the growth of a smeet, Tallest Red will take over all Tallest duties. The benefit of a new, naturally taller smeet is priority. The orders stay as they are," the Control Brain said then powered down into inactive mode once more. 

Purple froze at the railing. He couldn't believe what he just heard. He, a Tallest, was... was... _expandable_. Beside him, Red was equally shocked at this, but Purple didn't notice. He shoved his co-leader out of the way and exited the room.

He knew it! All along he had been worth nothing. His body was deformed, freakish, and... and... defective. It just so happened that his defectiveness could be used for the Empire, but he himself? He was nothing. He’d always known that. Maybe the Control Brains had known all along? Maybe Red knew? It made sense. Red didn't seem bothered by his recessive-gender when he told him. Maybe it was because he was in league with the Control Brains all along. They just had to bide their time and wait until the smeeteries ran out of DNA then they could issue their order. He would be disposed of and then Red could be the sole Tallest. Red would rule the galaxy without having to share decisions or snacks. That was why Red told his secret so easily, he didn't care. He wanted Purple gone too. Red thought he was worthless too.

Purple slammed his fist into the button opening the door to their Chambers. In the distance he could hear Red shouting after him, but Purple didn't stop. He ran into his personal room and locked the door behind him. Red slammed his fist against the door, calling his name when the door refused to open. Purple had to work fast, it wouldn't hold Red for long. Red had a knack for technology and he'd find a way to hack the door.

Purple would die before he let them kill him. He'd die before he let the next Tallest kill him. If he died he'd be preventing the next Tallest from being created, thus killing it. That would show them! Purple would not be used as a host.

Frantically, he searched the room for something he could use, but nothing he found would work quick enough. It had to be quick or else his PAK would heal him. Purple paused as a crazy idea occurred to him. Looking across the room he saw it; the garbage shoot. He went over and opened it, peering down into the darkness. It led straight down to the garbage section of the ship. With a shaky hand Purple reached around him and willed for his PAK to disconnect. Catching it in his hand he brought it around to look at it. All of himself was copied in it, everything that he was. A twisted smile formed on his lips. Wasn't it fitting that he was throwing himself away? This was all he was after all, disposable garbage, destined to be thrown away once used.

A _whoosh_ sound made his antennae perk up. Without looking behind him Purple knew that Red had opened the door. He was too late though.

 "Purple? PUR?!" Red shouted and shot towards him, knocking him aside with his PAK legs, sending Purple sprawling along the floor. Purple landed flat on his back and began laughing, the sound tainted with insanity. 

"You're too late," Purple laughed at Red from the floor.

Red frantically looked around, he couldn't believe it. "WHAT THE _IRK_ IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" he shouted at Purple before slamming his fist into the communicator on the wall.

"Yes, Tallest Pur-"

"Purple's PAK fell down the garbage shoot. Get it up here in under ten minutes or I'll throw every last Irken on this giant-transport-ship-thing out the airlock!" Red barked into the communicator cutting off whoever answered it.

"You mean the 'Massive'?" Purple supplied dryly from his place on the floor. Sometimes Red was so caught up in whatever he was going that he forgot simple words. Usually it annoyed Purple, Red was a Tallest he shouldn't be making mistakes, but now he found it funny.

With one smooth move from his PAK legs, Red was at Purple's side. He grabbed Purple by the shoulders pulling him up into a sitting position. "Why?" he asked his voice strained and raw with multiple emotions in that one word.

Purple stopped grinning and his lips tilted down into a slight frown. His antennae must have not be working right without his PAK, Red sounded... not happy. He should be happy. Purple would be out of his way. He'd be the lone Tallest, he'd get all the snacks. Did making a Tallest smeet mean that much to him? Well, too bad.

"I'm not going to be killed by the next Tallest," Purple said slowly. He could speak still but it took effort to say the words.

"I don't believe that would happen!" Red said gripping Purple's shoulders. "I wouldn't let it. The medics would figure something out. The Control Brains wouldn't have agreed if the risk was that great.”

"The Control Brains said I wasn't important. They only need one Tallest," Purple said tapping Red's armor with one finger. He blinked, everything was starting to get blurry. "They only wanted a host. I won't be used..." it was getting harder to talk. "...like that." Purple couldn't make out anything beyond Red, but he could still see Red's angry and scared expression. It was weird. It bothered him. "Why?" Purple said the word slowly. "Aren't... you happy?"

"Why the _Irk_ would I be happy about you dying?!" Red shouted then snapped his head up and called a communicator down. "WHERE THE _IRK_ IS PURPLE'S PAK?!"

"W-We're still l-looking my T-Tallest," a fearful voice answered back.

"Look faster!" Red snapped before turning his angry face back to Purple.

Purple blinked confused, but he answered barely able to form words, "You… won't… have… to share."

Red went completely rigid, but his grip on Purple's arms tightened. "ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT _SNACKS_?!" he exploded, shaking Purple. "YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN SNACKS, YOU STUPID TALLEST!"

_Oh._ Purple wasn't sure if he said that aloud or not as his vision darkened and he began losing all feeling. _That would have been nice to know_.

* * *

 

[artwork](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMYcSuUIW4nbXRhSuIOnOm0XZBHz1snGejBdYSi_w5o5TDTZ9lRgPq4Tw2tbU_oXQ?key=X3Fnd1Y2em81aUs2c2xUUTN6Vlp4RW83YVJlMDln)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (((((PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE ARTWORK OR THE LINK DOESN'T WORK. (I am embarrassingly bad a tech stuff so I hope this works, or if anyone knows how to get the image to appear in the actually body of the work can you message me with instructions? thanks!)))))
> 
> Purple's reaction might seem a little bit like 'well that escalated quickly" but in this story he has a lot of underlining complexes and a pretty stressful past. Up to this point he'd been able to somewhat forget about his past since he and Red have been Tallest for a while now and things are pretty cushy. 
> 
> The reason he goes a bit off the deep end is that all his greatest fears and anxieties are being triggered by the possibility that he is disposable or that his actual existence is deemed to mean nothing. 
> 
> Also fun fact: 8760 hours is exactly 1 year on Earth, which is about 1/10th of an Irken year. And 760 hours is roughly one month. 
> 
> A bit more about the gender thing. Purple is 100% male he just happens to have female reproductive organs as well. Irken society doesn't have hang ups about females being inferior to males like Earth does, so the issue isn't that Purple thinks that others will view him as female (which they won't because he identifies as male so why should anyone else view him differently?). Purple strongly rejects his female parts because having both makes him feel different and there are rumors that those who have both are more likely to become defective, again unfounded rumors but ones he believes none-the-less. Red doesn't believe such rumors and thinks that they are silly. So he really doesn't understand that Purples thinks it's a big deal which is why he carelessly spoke to the Control Brains. That combined with Purple's own hang ups is like the perfect storm for his paranoid and crazy self to come out. 
> 
> My reasoning for why the smeeteries can't make clones out of clones is very simple. Ever try to repeatedly make copies of a copy on a copy machine? Each time there are more imperfections; dust, black marks or weird fading. So it's not that they can't make clones from clone DNA it's just that they've made all the copies that they can before they are guaranteed to only make Irkens with defects. In order to have 'good' copies they need a fresh original to make copies from.


	2. More Than Just Snacks

 

_Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep…_

That sound was starting to get really annoying. Purple scowled, he was trying to nap. He was a Tallest, _Irk it!_ , he could nap if he wanted to. He opened his eyes ready to throw whatever it was making that sound into the airlock, but the sight that met him had him pausing. He was in the med bay.

Frowning, he tried to roll over off his stomach, but his legs and arms were strapped down, preventing him from moving. Irritated, but not yet alarmed, Purple sent the thought to his PAK to release his PAK legs so he could cut himself free, but nothing happened. Now he could panic! His PAK wasn't listening to him! He began to struggle frantically and a medic drone rushed over.

"My Tallest, you mustn't move!" the short, white-uniformed Irken pleaded. "You'll dislodge the IV!"

"What?" Purple said looking down at his arm and seeing the thin needle stuck in his skin. His eyes trailed up to the clear fluid dripping into the tube connected to his arm. "What is in that stuff?"

"Liquid sugar," Red said flatly from his other side. Purple turned his head towards his co-leader's voice. Red sat on the med table next to him, his feet dangling over the edge and a similar IV hooked up to his arm."Taking off a PAK really messes up our body's ability to digest sugar."

"Yes," the medic said. "It will take another five hours before you have enough sugar in your system for your bodies to process snacks. After that you can go back to eating regularly."

"Taking off a PAK?" Purple repeated, growing worried. "That happened to us? Did someone try to kill us?"

The medic drone's antennae fell back flat and he glanced nervously between the two Tallest. "I will let you rest," he said not answering the question. "Please don't move more than necessary. I will check on you again in an hour," he said then fled the room leaving them alone.

"Hey!" Purple scowled. "Why can't I sit up like Red?" he shouted after the medic, but the medic didn't return.

"The damage to your body is worse than mine," Red answered, his voice still flat. Purple turned back to study him. Red was giving him the weirdest of stares, his eyes were intensely fixed on Purple. If it weren't for his flat voice Purple would think that Red was really, really angry.

"What happened?" Purple asked.

Red paused before he answered. "You don't remember?"

"The last thing I remember is..." Purple trailed off thinking. He was having trouble recalling his memories naturally so he looked into his PAK's memory, but it was blocked off. His whole PAK was blocked off. It was like it wasn't even his PAK, but something to just keep him alive. "Red," Purple began growing increasingly anxious. "I can't feel my PAK. I can't access anything."

"The Control Brains put a lock on it. You won't be able to access any part of your PAK until they unlock it. It will keep you alive and you'll still be you, but they did say that recalling memories might take longer than usual," Red explained.

"Why would they do that? What happened? Is your PAK locked too?" Purple asked. In answer Red extended his PAK legs then pulled them back in. "Hey! That's not fair. Why is only my PAK locked? And why can't I sit up too?"

"Your PAK was disconnected from your body for eighteen minutes and thirty seconds."

Purple stared at Red. "That's...That's impossible. After ten I would be dead."

"At nine minutes and thirty seconds I attacked my PAK to you," Red said. "It kept your body alive for the next seven, when they finally found your PAK. It took a full minute for my PAK to properly withdraw from your body without leaving any trace of myself. It took me a minute longer for my PAK to readjust to my body again. It's weird," Red said looking off in the distance. "I have these two memories, one of myself in your body watching myself in my body slowly die, and the second is being in my body knowing that it's me looking out through your eyes watching me die."

"You saved my life," Purple said astonished at the self-sacrifice Red had made for him. That explained why Purple couldn't sit up, his body was in worse shape and he needed all the sugar to help with recovery. Still it was a bit extreme that they had tied him down. "But that doesn't explain why my PAK is locked, or what happened to it in the first place."

"Think about it," Red said. "Think about it _really_ hard."

"I can't think about it, my PAK is locked," Purple snapped glaring at Red. "Tell me! What happened for me to lose my PAK? Did you get whoever tried to kill me?" he asked feeling scared that such a person might still be loose on the Massive.

"Yeah, we got him," Red said evenly.

"Well?" Purple said impatiently. "What did you do to him?"

"We locked his PAK."

Purple scowled at his co-leader. Someone had tried to kill him, would have killed him if not for Red, but all they did was lock his PAK? Purple was the victim and yet his PAK was the one locked why did they—Purple cut his thoughts off as something in his memory clicked into place. Like lifting a dam, his most recent memories came flooding back. Betrayal. Anger. Spite. Confusion. Sadness. And the last emotion was newer, something he hadn't felt before. He glanced back at Red and his co-Tallest did nothing to hide the anger in his expression.

"You remembered," he stated his bright red eyes burrowing into Purple's.

Purple wanted to look away, but he felt trapped by Red's eyes and he felt another new emotion, guilt. Unable to look away Purple chose instead to focus on a spot on the medical bed just in front of himself. "Yes," Purple said softly. "Do..." Purple swallowed, but kept his gaze on that one spot. "Do you really think I'm more important than snacks?"

There was a long period of silence and unable to stop himself, Purple glanced up at Red. He was twitching with the effort to keep his anger under control. "The medic said," Red began in a controlled manner after a deep breath. "That I cannot move from this spot. I have to remain calm and keep my voice level, otherwise I'll burn off sugar too quickly.

“It took several IVs and the entire medic team to sedate me after they successfully connected your PAK. They only allowed me to be here if I promised to remain calm and not attack you. If I move from this med table the security system is keyed to restrain me and send me to the Control Brains to lock my PAK. You barely survived, they don't want me to strangle you before you can recover." Red took another deep breath to calm himself.

"If it were not for that promise I would be strangling you for the mere _thought_ that I would want you dead just so I could have all the snacks. We fight over the first and last donut, but we haven't even come close to running out of snacks. Why the _Irk_ ," Red clenched his teeth at the word, "would you think I would want you dead because of snacks?"

"Not just snacks," Purple mumbled in a soft voice. He had never seen Red so angry and even knowing about the security in place he still felt very nervous with his PAK locked and his body restrained. "Being the Tallest too."

"You think I _want_ to do all that work on my own?" Red snapped. "What fun would Probing Day be without someone to heckle the invaders with? And," he continued, the anger slipping into a more raw, hurt feeling. "What would make you think I would want you dead, Pur?" Red was the only Irken to call him that and he only did it when no one was around. He called it a 'Tallest Secret' too.

Purple felt like his spooch was twisting inside him, it hurt him so much. "Then why?" Purple asked unable to keep the hurt from his voice. "Why did you betray me?"

"Betray?" Red repeated still angry but also confused. "When did I ever do anything to betray you?" he asked glaringly.

"You told them."

"Told who what?"

"The Control Brains! You told them our Tallest Secret!" Purple shouted unable to hold back his own anger.

"You mean about your recessive gender?" Red asked and Purple hissed in response earning a scowl from Red. "Why does that even matter? Who cares about it?"

"I do!" Purple snapped, raising his voice.

"Well, _why_?" Red shouted back, his forehead wrinkling with frustrated confusion.

"It makes me different!"

"We're the Tallest! Of course we're different."

"This is different!"

"That's what I mean," Red said shaking with the effort to stay on the med table. He so badly wanted to shake or strangled his confounding co-leader.

"No! Bad different!"

"What's bad about it?"

"I FEEL DEFECTIVE!"

Red went silent and his expression turned to one of shock as he gaped at Purple. Purple glared at him hard before turning his head away and hiding his face, his antennae went still and flat against his head indicating both anger and his unwillingness to further communicate.

Red moved forward, but stopped himself when he saw the coils in the ceiling move. He couldn't risk being taken away from Pur, not now, but he desperately wanted to go over to his co-leader and friend. It all made sense now. Everything clicked into place and his anger drained out of him and was replaced with a horrible feeling that crushed his spooch. Purple really thought that their 'Tallest Secret' was a _real_ secret and not something of a personal nature.

He always thought it was odd how bothered Purple had been by his nature. It was a rare thing among Irkens and in Red's eyes that just made his co-leader more fit to be Tallest, but he wanted to respect Purple's wishes in keeping it a personal matter. After all having reproductive organs wasn't something most Irkens liked to acknowledge, mostly because they didn't matter. Talking about useless things was useless.

However, Purple truly believed that having a recessive gender made him defective. So he thought Red had been keeping a 'real' secret this whole time and then Red told the Control Brains. Red wanted to hit his head against a wall. Nothing about what happened had helped Purple at all. No wonder Purple snapped when the Control Brain said the risk was worth it. Purple thought of himself as defective. No one would give a second thought about risking a defective Irken, even if they were a Tallest. It just made Red incredibly sad that Purple had such a distorted view of himself to the extent that he forgot about their companionship.

"You're not a defect. How can you believe that?" Red asked softening his voice but Purple remained unresponsive. "Pur..."

"Don't call me that," Purple snapped, his head still turned away.

"Pur."

"Shut up!"

"Pur."

"Stop!"

"Pur."

"Leave me alone!"

"Pur."

 

* * *

 

As promised an hour later the medic drone came back. The shorter Irken very hesitantly opened the med bay door. The sensors hadn't gone off which meant Tallest Red hadn't tried to attack Tallest Purple. He thought he would be walking in on a very intense scene, but instead was met with something else entirely.

"Pur," Tallest Red cooed.

"No," Tallest Purple said his head turned towards the wall.

Neither Tallest seemed to be in danger at the moment, so the medic drone stepped into the room.

"Oh," Tallest Red noticed him coming into the room. "Good, medic drone Shlen, explain to Purple that having a recessive gender is normal."

"Um," Shlen began nervously. "I cannot explain that, my Tallest, because that is not the case."

Tallest Red quickly glanced over to Tallest Purple then turned back to glare at Shlen. "Choose your words carefully, medic drone," he said, the warning clear.

Shlen grew increasingly nervous, he had no idea what his Tallest wanted him to say so he told the truth. "Um...being a female-recessive is not normal, it is a rare event. And it is rarer still for a male-dominant to even know he has the female-recessive genes. E-Even more rare is the fact that a taller Irken and more so a Tallest is female-recessive. Originally, females were shorter because while carrying smeets their bodies would consume twice as much sugar. Tall genes are generally not present in female genes, however, there are the few rare cases where this was not so, such as former Tallest Miyuki."

"But it's not bad, right? Being female-recessive?" Tallest Red pressed.

"No, of course not, my Tallest," Shlen said blinking in surprise at the question. "It is a true marvel and I am honored to be able to serve my Tallest and I have been chosen to be the assistant to the specialist that is arriving. It will be the greatest honor to be of use to my Tallest and your future smeet."

"I'm not having a smeet," Purple said his head still turned away. "I refuse."

"Ah...um..." Shlen didn't know how to respond to that. He'd never heard of anyone going against the Control Brains' orders. Nervously he glanced to Tallest Red.

"He doesn't mean it," Red assured him.

"I do too mean it," Purple snapped turning his head back around to glare at Red. "I refuse to be used as a vessel for the next Tallest. I'm not going to die just to make room for another Tallest!"

"Die?!" Shlen squeaked and quickly glanced at the ceiling to make sure the security was still on Tallest Red.

Tallest Red saw Shlen's look. "Not me!" he exasperated and pointed at Tallest Purple. "He thinks that the smeet will kill him, that it will crawl out of his belly or eat him from the inside out."

Shlen blinked at that absurd notion. "There is no chance of the smeet eating its way out, while in the developing state it will be siphoning sugars from your body in order to grow. It won't eat anything solid until it is harvested. According to our records the greatest danger that a taller faces in smeet development is extreme malnutrition. If the smeet takes more sugar than your body can provide you will slip into a coma to reserve sugar exhaustion. In this state, if your body still can't produce enough resources for both you and the smeet, your body will reject the smeet before it has fully developed. The specialist is coming for the sole purpose of making sure that both you and the smeet thrive through the developing phase.

"Some species will die for the next generation, but Irkens are not known for such acts. Survival depends on surviving. The body will not sacrifice itself for a smeet, because more smeets can always be made at a later time, but there is only one body and if the body dies no smeets can be made." Shlen said reasonably. "It just makes sense and proves our superiority to other such species where the spawning partner sacrifices itself."

"So, there's no chance of me dying?" Purple asked slowly, still suspicious.

"Of course not, my Tallest. Losing another Tallest would devastate the Empire. We lost too many in such a short time. Letting you develop a smeet would not have been considered if not for the assurance that should you temporarily slip into a comatose state, Tallest Red would be able to rule while you recover. However, the risk of that happening will be very low with the specialist here to monitor the developing process and your sugar consumption."

"Oh," Purple said suddenly feeling very, very foolish and highly embarrassed for over reacting to the Control Brains' words. Purple was also highly aware of a red-eyed gaze burrowing into him and he did his absolute best _not_ to glance in that direction. He was more than positive that whatever Red's expression was would make him feel even worse. Instead he flattened his antennae against his head, "I'm going to go into sleep mode to recover faster, he said and turned away from the two. Purple tightly closed his eyes, but nothing happened.

"Your PAK is locked," Red said in an expressionless voice, giving Purple no clue as to Red's mood. "You won't be able to access sleep mode on your own."

"I'm in sleep mode right now," Purple said in response.

Red decided not to respond to his comment. "How's my condition?" he asked Shlen.

"Yes, let me see..." Shlen carefully read the scanner constantly monitoring Tallest Red. "Oh, good, your levels have become more stable. The IV can be removed and you can start eating snacks again."

"Finally," Red muttered pulling out the IV and hopping off the table. Instantly the security devices above hummed to life. "Uh, can you disarm these?" Red asked pointing up. Shlen fell over himself in apologies as he deactivated the system. "I'm going to the Tallest Chambers, have the snack-making drones send up some donuts." Out of the corner of his vision Red saw Purple's antennae twitch at the word 'donut', but that he didn't turn around and demand some just showed how stubborn his co-leader was being. Red did his part, if Purple wanted to be stubborn he could be. Red wasn't going to beg anymore, if Purple wanted to talk to him he'd have to apologize first.

He activated his hover belt and left without one more word to his co-leader. Once back in their Tallest Chambers he found a plate of donuts waiting for him. Hunger overtook him and Red fell upon the plate, ravenously consuming them. Once he finished off half Red slowed down enough to actually taste them. He fumed for a few moments, stewing over how ridiculous Purple was being. It was like all those years of training together, ruling together, meant nothing.

At the first hint of a misunderstanding Purple had been ready to destroy himself just to make a point. Purple was a Tallest, how could he think that Red would get rid of him for more snacks? It was insulting, is what it was. It was like their partnerships meant nothing to him.

Red paused mid-chew.

What if their partnership _did_ mean nothing to Purple? It would explain why Purple was so quick to think Red wanted him gone. What if what Purple accused him of wanting what Purple himself wanted? Maybe Purple wanted to rule alone? Maybe Purple would rather have all the snacks than him around? It was a depressing thought. And one that Red couldn't shake now that he'd thought it. Was he alone in thinking that their partnership meant something? That they had a deeper bond than mere co-leaders?

Suddenly, Red couldn't stand being in the common area anymore. Looking around his PAK unhelpfully supplied him memories of their shared time together. Now all those memories were becoming tainted with the idea that only Red had enjoyed them. Hastily, Red retreated to his personal room where there were fewer memories of Purple.

Maybe this whole thing was a mistake. However, he knew there was no hope of convincing the Control Brains to call it off, their word was absolute and vetoed any Tallest order. The medic drone was coming on the Control Brains' orders, so Red couldn't just send him back. Maybe he could order the medic drone to tell the Control Brains that this wouldn't work. It was worth a shot and it was his only idea. Until then Red decided he would avoid Purple as much as possible. Thinking about his co-leader hurt.

  
[very basic sketch of Tallest in the med bay](https://photos.app.goo.gl/oD4BUnqoPXVuRaZi8)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shlen's name is pronounced Shh-len. He is an average medical drone that happens to have no big assignments except to be stationed to the Tallest's medical bay. I didn't really say it in the story but the med bay they are in is exclusive to the Tallest, no other Irkens go in. Shlen was the doctor assigned there, but since the Tallest rarely get hurt or need help his job is very boring so he is very excited to have work and be able to assist the specialist coming to the Massive. 
> 
> With Purple's memories. My head cannon is that the PAKs act like brains. Inside them are memories and through them the Tallest can access any of their extensions with a simple thought. Also there are several programs that they can access through their PAKs that are thought-controlled. Their hover belts are such a thing, then can turn it off and on without having to push a button. Because of this Irkens tend to use their PAKs more than they do their organic brains. So when Purple's PAK is locked it takes his organic brain a little while to catch on and realize that it can't be lazy anymore and that it has to work to recall memories. 
> 
> I got the idea for Red attacking his PAK to Purple from the unaired episode in IZ where Zim's PAK attaches to Dib. I imagine that it would be really weird to have two simulations memories of yourself from different perceptions.
> 
> Also my poor nugget Red, he just wants to be besties with Purple again.


	3. It's a Bit More Involved Than That

It didn't take the medical specialist long to arrive at the docking bay of the Massive. The assistant assigned to him on the Massive sent him a message reporting on the Tallests' behavior. After reading the contents Mik practically burnt out his ship's engine to get there sooner. What should have taken fifty hours took half that.

When the Control Brains assigned him his new mission, he greatly advised against it. It was best if Irkens with no prior relation paired off. Activating the reproductive functioning could complicate things. Smeet development happened best in stable environments. But _nooooo_ the Control Brains assured him that the Tallest were different, that their bond was the perfect example of stable. If that were so then Tallest Purple wouldn't have panicked and accidentally lost his PAK down the garbage shoot at the mere _mention_ of smeet making with Tallest Red, and their reproductive functioning hadn't even been activated yet!

 _Still_ the Control Brains didn't want to back down. Now that the idea of a Tallest smeet was in their mechanical brains they didn't want to let it go. They trusted him to fix the situation, which was more of a threat than a show of confidence in his abilities. For cooperation purposes he had been given the title "Temporary Control Brain Representative" which meant he had as much authority as a Control Brain, only to be overruled by the Control Brains themselves. In essence, he was currently the most powerful Irken in the Universe. And he hated it.

Mik scowled at the airlock doors and waited for them to open. He knew the logic behind the title, it would assure his safety from the Tallest. They had been known to throw smallers out the airlock when irritated. If he wanted to, he could usurp the Tallest and control the whole Massive himself, but he wouldn't for two reasons. One: he was a medic not a leader, the very idea of being a ruler was highly off putting. His passions, his knowledge, the drive that marched through his medic veins was all for medical science. Two: the Control Brains could take away his title whenever they pleased. If he didn't do what they had sent him out to do they could demote him to a food service drone and send him to Foodcourtia.

 _Although_ ... A small amused smile appeared on Mik's face. _That never stopped one particular Irken did it?_ His internal musings were cut short when the door finally opened and he was greeted by a frantic medic drone.

"Sir! Sir, I'm so glad you could arrive here so quickly," Shlen said his voice a mix of excitement and anxiety. "Come, I'll escort you to the Tallest Chambers," he said and Mik had no choice but to follow his energetic assistant.

"How is their condition?" Mik asked as he walked briskly next to him.

"Both have stabilized and their PAKs have returned to full functioning capabilities. They can both consume sugar orally without complications and their consumption levels are back to normal. However, Tallest Purple has been naturally asleep for most of the time, but the scanners don't pick up anything out of the ordinary. He is perfectly healthy, but the Control Brains command that his PAK remains locked."

"Do you have any idea what caused Tallest Purple to react in the manner he did?" Mik asked.

"Um, no," Shlen said feeling a little useless. "But he and Tallest Red did ask about the risks of smeet making and Tallest Red wanted to know if Tallest Purple's recessive-gender was a common occurrence among tallers. I did explain that there was no risk to Tallest Purple's life and that you would make sure all sugar levels remained stable. I also gave them assurance that Tallest Purple's recessive gender was not at all common and that his status only made him more amazing as a Tallest. And-"

"-Yes, yes," Mik cut him off by waving his hand. "Very good. Here is a list of supplies I will need for the eventual smeet," Mik's PAK opened up and handed his assistant a reader. "Get started on preparations and construction of the necessary items, yes?"

Shlen's round pink eyes lit up and he took the reader in both his small hands like it was the most rare and delicious snack in all the universe. "Yes. Yes, of course!" he beamed and hugged the reader close. "I will get on it right away. The Tallest Chambers are just down the hall," he said quickly then dashed off to start working on his new mission.

Mik sighed. That would keep his assistant busy for awhile while he met with the Tallest. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be easy. The Tallest weren't going to like what he knew he would have to do. Mik entered the chambers, the doors automatically opening for him due to the advanced status imprinted in his PAK. A door to the left opened and Tallest Red poked his head out. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at first but then widened, Mik knew he had been recognized by his white uniform with the highest ranking medic symbol on it. Mik started a formal introduction but wasn't able to finish. Tallest Red zipped over with the use of his hover belt and snatched up Mik under his arms then quickly retreated back to his personal room. To stunned to react, Mik stared blankly at his Tallest as he was set back down on the floor after the door had closed behind them.

"You're the specialist the Control Brains sent over, right?" Tallest Red asked and continued before Mik could answer. "I want you to go tell the Control Brains that this isn't possible. Tell them it won't work or something."

Mik's antennae perked up in interest. Based on the report he expected this reaction from Tallest Purple, but not from Tallest Red who made the suggestion in the first place. "The Control Brains are set on this outcome, not even my recommendation could change their minds," Mik explained and Tallest Red's face fell into despair. "My Tallest, may I ask why the sudden change of mind? You suggested it and voiced no objection."

"I wish I hadn't," Tallest Red muttered. Deactivating his hover belt he sat down on the edge of his bed and stared at his interlocking fingers in his lap. "I didn't want to know..." he trailed off.

"You didn't want to know what?" Mik prompted.

Tallest Red glanced up at him and frowned. "It's of no concern to you, smaller, go check on Purple. Leave me be."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, My Tallest, I need to know your thoughts. In fact it would be most helpful if I could access your recent memories," Mik said calmly and waited for outrage to come, which it did.

" _What?!_ " Tallest Red stood to his full intimidating height. "How _dare_ you ask that and...and... not listen to me!" he said completely flabbergasted that Mik, a smaller, would ask to have access to his PAK's memories, something that only the Control Brains did during existence evaluations.

"My Tallest," Mik began respectfully, remaining calm in what normally would be a deadly situation. "I dare because it is the most efficient and rational method of fixing this situation between you and Tallest Purple. As I said before, the Control Brains are set on this smeet happening and I have been given the title and rank to carry out their orders. However, I do not want to use this and would rather have your and Tallest Purple's full cooperation."

"Wait...what?" Tallest Red froze in shock. "Computer," he barked. "Verify!"

A red light scanned over Mik. " **Processing...verified. Irken Mik has the title of Temporary Control Brain Representative, as such he has full access to all Massive operating systems and his orders may only be countered by the Control Brains.** "

Tallest Red stared down at Mik for a long moment. Then with a long heavy sigh he sat back down on the bed. "Somehow I'm not surprised that they would do this. It has to be a weird punishment from them that _we_ have to obey a _smaller,"_ he laughed bitterly but his expression quickly changed to a panicked one and he grabbed Mik by the shoulders. "Do _not_ let Purple know about your title. I think he's finally convinced that the Control Brains and myself don't want him dead. If he finds out that they are undermining all his power as a Tallest with _you_ I'm sure he'll go right back to that thought and try to deactivate himself again."

"Wait... _WHAT?!_ " Mik shrieked. "I thought Tallest Purple just went into a panic and _lost_ his PAK. You mean to tell me that it was on _purpose_? Wh...why?!" Mik flailed around his arms, the thought of any Irken trying to deactivate themselves was unheard of much less a Tallest.

"Maybe," Tallest Red said slowly as a small cord extended from his PAK. "It _is_ better if I show you," he held out the cord which would allow Mik to have access to his memories.

With shaking fingers Mik took the cord and plugged it into his own PAK. True to his word Mik only sought access to the last few days, connected as they were Mik could have looked into any part of his Tallest's memories, but that would be breaching his Tallest's trust. After fully viewing the memories Mik unplugged the cord and watched it descend back into Tallest Red's PAK.

He now had a _much_ better idea of what he was up against and while daunting, it wasn't as bad as he first thought. But before he could come to any conclusions he needed to have the missing pieces of information. "I'll need access to Tallest Purple's memories as well," Mik said almost apologetically, after seeing Tallest Red's memories he knew how difficult and potentially distressing this would be.

"I'll tell him," Tallest Red said with a resigned sigh as he stood once more and activated his hover belt. "We might have to restrain him, his PAK is locked but your order will release the necessary cord. At least he can't hate me more than he already does," he muttered as he drifted past Mik and out towards Tallest Purple's door. At his approach the door swooshed opened and from Tallest Red's memories, Mik knew this was because Tallest Red himself had shot the locking mechanism in order to get into Tallest Purple's room.

At the sound of his door opening Tallest Purple lifted his head up off his bed, his eyes instantly showing anger then distrust when he saw Mik. "I'm fine," he snapped. "I don't need a medic drone to check on me. I'm eating and I'm still attached," he shifted so his PAK could be seen. "So go away, Red."

"That's not why I'm here," Tallest Red said his voice flat. "This is the specialist that the Control Brains sent for."

"What?" Tallest Purple shot up, his antennae perked up in alarm. "But we still have at least twenty-five hours till his arrival."

"I came as fast as I could due to the recent events," Mik explained.

Tallest Purple shifted his gaze between the two of them before narrowing his eyes. "You've come to do it now, haven't you?"

"No, Purple," Tallest Red said keeping emotion from his voice. "The medic needs something else from you first. I've already given him mine, so it's your turn."

"What?" he asked suspiciously curious.

"He needs access to your memories of the last few days," Tallest Red said bluntly. "The Control Brains ordered it," he added before Tallest Purple could protest.

"No," Tallest Purple said surprising them both.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Tallest Red asked. "You can't refuse the Control Brains' orders."

"If they want the smeet they'll have to let me keep my memories to myself."

"Are you _threatening_ the Control Brains?" Tallest Red almost squeaked and he glanced quickly at Mik. "Please, Purple, don't do anything rash."

"My memories are the only thing I have left. I'll die before I let some _smaller_ have those too," Tallest Purple hissed.

Tallest Red hissed back in anger. "Don't threaten me with your life like that. After everything I did to keep you alive, don't you _dare_ say that."

"Then back off! And take that smaller with you," Tallest Purple shouted back.

"ENOUGH!" Mik shouted startling both Tallest into silence. "Tallest Red, I'll ask you to please return to your personal chamber, your presence here doesn't seem to be helping."

"Um, yeah, okay," Tallest Red said, too startled to do much else but obey. No one had ever yelled at him before. Once he was gone Mik turned back to the stunned Tallest still sitting on his bed.

"Tallest Purple, I have had access to Tallest Red's memories. I was at first informed that your PAK was disconnected by accident, but now I know it was done purposefully. I am a medic and the only specialist in smeet making and Irken sexuality. I would like to know what exactly is it about making a smeet that caused you to have such a violent reaction to the notion," Mik said in a calm and soothing voice. "If there are any questions, concerns or issues that I can resolve I would be happy to be of service to you. Of course this conversation will remain confidential."

"Oh, no, well," Tallest Purple looked away, put off guard by Mik's calming reassuring presence. A presence that Mik spent many years perfecting, he wasn't the top medic in his field for nothing. "At first it had nothing to do with the smeet making. I thought that the Control Brains didn't care if I died and I panicked thinking that they wanted to replace me and that Red didn't want me around anymore."

"What most bothered you, according to Tallest Red's memories, is that he shared his knowledge of your recessive-gender with the Control Brains. Also according to Tallest Red you are greatly bothered by this duel-nature of yours, that it makes you feel defective. May I ask why?" Mik gently probed.

Tallest Purple flinched at the word 'defective'. "I've looked into it and the last few Irkens that have had existence evaluations have been recessive-gendered. And the most annoying and defective Irken of them all is also recessive-gendered," Tallest Purple said with a scowl.

"You are talking about Zim, yes I know of him," Mik said, which was the biggest understatement of the century. "But his recessive-gender is not the cause of his...uniqueness. Nor has that been the case for other defectively labeled Irkens. It is a mere coincidence."

"How can you be so sure?" Tallest Purple said unbelieving.

"I've researched this myself as it is a topic of great interest in the medical field. What causes one Irken to become defective has nothing to do with gender, mostly because that part of our system is not active so therefore it could have no real effect on an Irken's behaviors. Recessive-gender is much more common than you expect, a third of my expert medical team back on Irk is recessive-gender. We did extensive body scans on ourselves long ago and many were surprised by the results. In fact three members of my team have been chosen for the breeding program. Two are recessive-gendered which will be of great aid to them when it comes to picking a suitable partner. They will have a wider range to choose from as they can be either giver or receiver of a smeet," Mik explained and he couldn't keep the hint of pride out of his voice.

"Hmm," Tallest Purple said thoughtfully and Mik thought he looked a lot calmer.

Now that one issue had been settled, at least for now, Mik decided to attack the next greatest obstacle, the one the Control Brains had sent him here for. "It was your belief of Tallest Red's betrayal that drove you to remove your PAK, yes?"

Tallest Purple's face became dusted with an interesting shade of blue as his eyes skittered off to the side. "I might have overreacted a little," he mumbled.

"You understand that while Tallest Red had been insensitive, he had no ill intentions in bringing up this topic to the Control Brains. And I can tell you that had you gone to Irk as originally planned an intensive medical scan would have discovered your recessive-gender anyway. The result being that you would have been able to choose from all selected Irkens," Mik paused as he thought. "Would you have rather gone to Irk to choose from the Irkens there?"

Tallest Purple blinked then tilted his head as he considered this. Eventually he twisted up his face in displeasure. "No, they are all shorter, right? Red and I probably would have ended up fighting over the taller Irkens if we had to choose, but I doubt I would have found anyone worthy."

"So you are not opposed to being a breeding partner with Tallest Red?" Mik asked.

"As long as I have no risk of dying," he shrugged.

"There is no risk of death," Mik assured him. "The Massive is filled with snacks and even on Irk measures are being taken to assure that the smeet carriers will be well supplied with the necessary nutrients. I will be on the Massive as long as necessary and will be available for consult at all hours."

"Good," Tallest Purple nodded. "And as long as the smeet isn't going to replace me."

"Ah, well, there is no guarantee that your smeet will even become a Tallest," Mik said believing in what he thought would comfort the Tallest.

"What?" Tallest Purple whipped his head to glare at him. "Of course it will, it's going to be made from DNA from Red and I. We're amazing, of course anything we make will be amazing too."

"Science has yet to pinpoint exactly what makes one Irken grow to-" Mik cut himself off and hid a smile at the indignant look on his Tallest's face. "Yes, of course it will, my Tallest, you are correct. However, even if—when your smeet does grow to Tallest height and complete necessary training, it will be at least a decade of Irk years in the future."

"Oh, that's right. Smeets take a long time to grow," Tallest Purple said to himself and the tension faded from his shoulders. "So, how does this work? You have the DNA already from Red, right? Do you just put it in my PAK or..." Tallest Purple trailed off expectantly.

Mik felt his face pale a bit and a nervous smile pulled at his lips. He'd thought that the Control Brains already supplied the Tallest with the necessary information. He had no idea that it would be up to him to explain the whole process too. That was why he made the informational vids for Irk, so he wouldn't have to explain the process himself. The Control Brains probably didn't bother since he himself was coming. They were logical like that.

"No, my Tallest, it's a bit more involved than that. Which is why you need to make amends with Tallest Red."

"Don't wanna," Tallest Purple said, that blue tint back as he looked away with his jaw set stubbornly.

"My Tallest, please, Tallest Red felt betrayed by your lack of faith in him, he feels that you hate him," Mik explained.

"That's stupid, Red is stupid," Tallest Purple said remaining stubborn.

"Yes, I know you don't hate your co-Tallest," Mik said. "But it is important that you inform Tallest Red of this yourself." Even after a few more gentle pleads Tallest Purple remained stubborn. He knew that of the two Tallest, Purple was much more stubborn. The chance of him doing as Mik asked was next to zero. The only one who could ever work with Tallest Purple would have to be Tallest Red.

And with that thought Mik finally saw the Control Brains' wisdom. The Tallest were too tall for any other Irken to feel comfortable enough with to mate, much less raise a smeet. Cloned smeets did not need any assistance, they were born soldiers. Natural born smeets would need more care and attention, which was why having balanced partners was important.

Mik still didn't know how activating the reproductive functioning would affect the Tallest's relationship, but it did seem that the only ones who could tolerate their personalities were each other. "Since my Tallest will not go to Tallest Red, I shall inform him for you," Mik said and briskly walked out ignoring his Tallest's calls of 'wait!'. Mik marched into Tallest Red's room to find him sitting on the edge of his bed as he stared down at his hands. At the sound of the door opening he looked up. "Tallest Red, I have come here to-" Mik was cut off as he was kicked violently across the room. Rolling into a ball for protections he came to a stop a few feet away.

"I don't hate you!" Tallest Purple blurted from the doorway.

"Purple, what on _Irk_ was that about?" Tallest Red said getting up to pull Mik off the floor and to his feet. "Are you okay?" he asked anxiously. Mik knew the concern came from the knowledge that Mik was higher ranking as opposed to actual worry.

"That smaller was going to speak my words for me," Tallest Purple pointed angrily at Mik. "I'm a Tallest I can speak my own words."

"Indeed, Tallest Purple," Mik said gratefully using Tallest Red's help to stand. Mik dusted himself off. "So speak your words now."

"Don't tell me what to do," the Tallest snapped.

"Purple," Tallest Red said in warning, but Mik held up his hands to signal to the Tallest that he wasn't offended. Tallest Red frowned but his face lifted as he spoke, "Did you say you don't hate me?"

Tallest Purple finished scowling at Mik and he shifted his attention to his co-leader. Interestingly, Tallest Purple lost his aggravated posture and his antennae fell back. He looked all around the room, but avoided looking at Tallest Red. "Yeah, I did. Are you still mad at me?" he asked finally glancing at his counterpart.

Tallest Red's mouth became a thin line as he thought. "No, just," he frowned.

"Sad," Mik supplied. "The emotion is sadness. You felt that when you thought Tallest Purple did not value the bond you share. From your memories, I know you can understand the hurt Tallest Purple felt when he believed that you gave away an important secret. I also know that you felt guilty for making your co-leader feel like he had been betrayed. While it had been insensitive of you to discuss something of a personal nature without first consulting Tallest Purple, I know that you did it because of the strong bond you feel with him. You felt that no other Irken could compare to your co-leader and you did not want to bother with a smaller when you could choose your partner."

"Really?" Tallest Purple said first staring at Mik then at the stunned Irken on the bed. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully and a smile split his face. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to do anything with a smaller either. We always do everything together."

"Yeah, we do," Tallest Red smiled back, then he shifted his attention to Mik. "So, do you take my DNA now?"

"Ah, well, the process is a bit more," Mik coughed to clear his throat, " _involved_ than that. First, I will need to activate the reproduction function in your PAK that will allow your bodies to make smeets. While I do that I have an informational vid you can watch that will explain the process. Perhaps we should relocated to the couch where you will be more comfortable?"

 

[B&W Sketch of Mik](https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZuE9ic4yVrJ4Z8cb6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zim gets his first mention in this chapter and he will make an appearance later on. His story and role in all this is super important but you don't find out the exact details until the last chapter. 
> 
> Mik's character in the beginning is very calm and collected, however as the chapters progress his professional mask slips the more involved he becomes with the stubborn Tallest. Also he is a huge science nerd and can get very wrapped up in his studies and findings. As the time of a sweet draws near you can see more of this side of himself. Underneath his calm and collected exterior he is a very unsure and anxious Irken, but he makes up for it with his logic and passion for the science field. 
> 
> Irkens have been making cloned Smeets for so long that they truly have no idea how organic species reproduce. They are too arrogant to learn as well. In the science field they might have a general knowledge of how things work, but their studies have been from a viewpoint of learning about lesser creatures. People don't really get hot and bothered by watching mating habits of animals in documentaries, it's more interesting/amusing/disgusting which is how the Irkens feel if they were ever presented with the material. At this point all Irkens are incapable of feeling sexual urges, that part of their bodies and minds has yet to be activated. They are all very asexual creatures at this point, having no sexual drive or instincts what so ever. 
> 
> So at this point the Tallest have no idea how mating works. Their understanding of smeets is that they are made in tubes and are brought out when they are ready. So they think that their DNA will just be taken from them and at the most grown in a small tube in their PAKs or something. Boy are they in for a shock.


	4. So Any Questions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the vid think 1950's style cartoon/public service announcement, more detailed description in end notes.

Purple and Red sat side by side on the couch, both of them feeling much better now that the air had been cleared between them. The medical specialist Mik (he formally introduced himself again once they sat down) pulled up a box to stand on behind the couch so he could gain access to their PAKs. He assured them that the activation process would be painless and they probably wouldn't even notice a difference. He gave them the vid to watch and started with Red's PAK. It was a very weird feeling to have another Irken rooting around in his PAK, but true to his word it wasn't painful, just odd.

Shrugging off the feeling Red pushed the play button and leaned towards Purple so they could watch the small hand held vid together.

" _Hello and congratulations!"_ A chipper mechanical voice spoke the words as they appeared on the screen and a small animated Irken popped up. " _You have been chosen for a special and amazing project_ ." The little Irken looked surprised then stood proudly. " _Yes, you should be proud,"_ the voice praised the animated Irken. " _You have been chosen due to your exemplary skills in your field for Irk's first ever breeding project. Let's start by going over what will happen upon your arrival to Irk."_

"Oh, you don't need to watch that part," Mik cut in and reached over to fast-forward the vid.

The vid skipped to the small animated Irken waving good-bye to another animated medical done. _"Once you have settled in and one of our amazing medical staff has activated the reproductive functioning in your PAK it will be time to choose a partner."_ Next to the animated Irken several animated female Irkens popped up. " _When choosing a partner there are several-"_

Mik leaned over once again, "Or that part," he said and skipped that as well. Purple gave the medical drone a glare, he could have just skipped all the unimportant parts from the start. But when the vid started again he turned his attention to watch it.

" _Now that you have found a partner,"_ the voice began as two animated Irkens appeared next to each other, one male, one female. " _It is time to start the pre-mating rituals. Firstly, it is important to imprint each other with your scent and the best way to do this is_ _by rubbing antennae."_

"Won't that hurt?" Purple muttered.

" _But won't that hurt? You might be thinking,"_ the voice said just as Purple spoke earning a chuckle from Red. Purple made a grumpy face but continued to watch. The animated Irkens glanced at each other nervously and laid their antennae flat against their heads as the voice continued. " _While it is true that antennae are very sensitive and become irritated when touched, when it comes to mating their function slightly changes making it okay to touch."_ At this the male Irken smiled and reached out to gently touch the female's offered antenna.

At the touch the female gave a happy smile. " _See? It feels nice to be touched by your partner."_ The two Irkens on screen smiled. " _But be careful,"_ the friendly voice warned as the male Irken, seemingly distracted by the warning, grabbed the female's antenna harshly. " _Don't be too rough with your partner or else it will hurt them_ ," the female Irken scowled and after freeing her antenna punched the male Irken on the side of his head and walked off screen. " _Hurting your partner will make you lose your chance at mating."_

The screen when black for a moment as the scene changed to have the two Irkens side by side again. " _The second imprinting ritual is also about scents and tasting. Aren't you excited_ ?" The two Irkens smiled. " _This act will involve the use of your tongues and mouths and is actually common among many breeding species, but there is nothing common about you! You're special, so lets get started."_ The two Irkens smiled again and the view zoomed in on their faces. " _A good way to start is for one partner to lightly taste his partner's lips_ ." A thin tongue slipped out of the male Irken's mouth and gently slid along the female's. " _If the touch is welcome the partner can choose to taste the other’s lips or tongue directly."_ The female in the vid chose the latter and slid her tongue along the male's, then coiled around it. " _This sensation can feel very welcome and will often lead to tasting the insides of each others' mouths as well."_

At this the female pulled the male's tongue into her mouth locking their lips together. The vid changed its view allowing them to see through the animated Irkens as their tongues moved around in each others' mouths. The female then wrapped her arms around the male, the movement pulling him down off screen. A moment later a waving hand popped up from where they fell. " _Ha ha,"_ the voice laughed good naturally. " _Of course, it is completely normal to get very involved in the pre-mating rituals. Tasting can be a very good experience for both partners and you may find that you want to taste other parts of their skin as well. This is good, as it will make the final step much easier if both partners are fully stimulated."_

"Got it," Mik mumbled as he closed Red's PAK and moved to start on Purple's. As his PAK was locked Mik had to use a small device from his own to latch onto Purple's and show that he had been allowed access. Once granted, Purple felt his PAK open and he shifted around a little. It was uncomfortable feeling foreign hands poking around. To distract himself he went back to watching the vid as it started the next session.

" _Now that you and your partner are fully simulated it is time to start the mating process,"_ the voice said. The two Irkens on the vid were lying on top on one another and had removed their uniform to be completely bare. As the voice spoke the two separated from their lip lock and sat next to each other. " _If the pre-mating rituals have been preformed correctly you should notice a darkened patch of skin between both you and your partner's legs."_ The two Irkens in the vid looked curiously down and the camera zoomed in for a close up. Like the voice said, a darkened area of green appeared between the Irkens' legs.

 _"Because this is your first mating a thin layer of skin prevents access to your reproductive organs. However, thanks to your PAK's reproductive functioning being activated and due to all the preparation done in the pre-mating rituals, a fluid has been released just under that skin. This fluid is special, amazing and quite superior because it will dissolve the skin painlessly. Under the skin there will be a thin vertical line that will resemble a closed mouth."_ As mentioned, this process occurred with the female Irken and she looked up to grin pleasantly.

" _However, if your protective layer of skin seems to be having difficulty dissolving,"_ the voice said as the male Irken frowned at his undissolved skin _. "Worry not, for this is easily solved. Either you or your partner can aid in the process by lightly rubbing the darkened area."_ In the vid the animated female Irken reached over to rub the male until his own line appeared at which both Irkens smiled once more.

"Done," Mik said as something clicked into place and he closed Purple's PAK. Purple expected to feel something different, but he felt the exact same as before. Curious, he glanced at Red who was staring at the vid with wide eyes and a light blue dusting across his cheeks. Not understanding his co-leader's reaction he turned his attention back to the vid.

" _It is at this point in which your reproductive organs will make themselves know. For females the edges of the lower lips will part revealing an internal orifice."_ The female in the vid looked down once again as the process described occurred. " _For males the lips will part to allow an external appendage to come out."_ On the male Irken the process was repeated and what looked like a fat tongue curled out from the parted skin. " _For those of you lucky recessive-gendered Irkens you will have both organs_." On the male Irken, just underneath the first organ, the lips parted farther to show another orifice.

Throughout the whole vid Purple had remained slightly curious, but at seeing what his own mating organs would look like he felt heat flood his face and he desperately wanted to look away from the vid, but another, stronger, part of himself kept his eyes firmly locked onto the screen.

" _Now that both organs are present the mating can begin. The giving partner will start the mating by inserting the external organ into the receiving partner's internal one."_ At this the two animated Irken looked at each other and smiled in a friendly manner. The female held her legs open which allowed the male to slide his organ into hers. " _This act will be enjoyed best if both partners get into a rhythm of friction, allowing the external organ to stimulate itself against the walls of the internal one."_ As instructed the male Irken slowly moved against the female. _"This friction should continue until the external organ has been stimulated enough to release the necessary smeet-making DNA._

 _"However, the DNA will only be accepted if the female also reaches peak stimulation, at which point her body will accept the DNA and begin the smeet making process. So for givers it is important to pay attention to your receiver's reactions and direct the friction of your organ to the places that are most stimulating. Also don't forget_ ," the voice continued making both Irkens look up in question. " _That if your partner has both organs it is good form and highly recommended that both of their organs find peak stimulation. This can be done by creating friction with your hands, tongue, or specialized PAK attachments that will be given out as requested, just remember to be gentle."_

On the screen, the female's PAK opened and a PAK leg came out, at the end of it was an attachment that resembled the male external organ. She looked surprised for a moment then tilted her head with a smile. The male spread his legs further and the female's PAK leg went over his shoulder and around his back to access his internal organ. She stuck the attachment into the male and he smiled happily.

" _After a mating check in with the medics to see if a smeet has started to grow. But don't be discouraged, sometimes it can take several matings for a smeet to form. So if at first you don't succeed, try and try again!"_ The voice said as the two Irkens began moving once again along with the PAK attachment. Shortly after the words 'The End' appeared across the screen and it went black.

"So, any questions?" Mik asked eager to hear their feedback, his team spent a lot of time putting that vid together and they all felt it was informative and comforting. He knew the actual mating process was a lot less...docile than that, as he had been able to witness a partial mating stimulation. However, that fact was a highly kept secret. To collect the necessary mating information, he made a daring deal with the Control Brains. In exchange for information the Control Brains would remain silent on a particular matter. At the time, the threat of running out of viable DNA was near, which was the only reason the deal had been considered at all.

Tallest Red dropped the vid like it had burned him and whipped around to face Mik, the second Tallest mirroring his actions. Their identical expressions startled Mik. Their eyes were impossibly wide and something akin to horror reflected in them as a heavy blue flush appeared under their eyes.

"We have to do _that_ with each other?" the two simultaneously asked, their voices raised in a slightly panicked way. Upon hearing their synchronized words the two locked eyes and the blue flush spread highlighting their entire faces. In the next moment, the two sprang up and bolted towards their respective rooms, leaving Mik floundering to comprehend their responses.

This was not how his medical team had responded to the vid, they said it was informative, easy to understand and friendly. Mik sighed. As much as he didn't want to, he was going to have to contact his consulting source about their reactions. Mik didn't want to try anything on his own and make the situation worse.

* * *

* * *

 

[Embarrassed Tallest watching the vid](https://photos.app.goo.gl/zFru77R4iCzQoS9R6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably one of my favorite chapters. I imagine the voice over to be a deep but happy chipper voice like that of a excited car salesman. The style of the animations looks just like those from the 1950s. A good example of this style being used today would be from the game Fallout 4 when you are learning about the skills. Another one would be the newer Ratchet and Clank games when you learn about new weapons and technology. 
> 
> During this informational video Mik basically sends the Tallest into instant puberty by activating the program in their PAKs. I imagine it's like your parents giving you 'The Talk' but next to you is the person you have been childhood friends with and you recently found out you have an arranged marriage, Combined with the fact that by receiving "The Talk" you have instantly matured and reached the peak of puberty so all those awkward feelings you might have felt over the course of a few years have combined into one horribly embarrassing moment. 
> 
> Basically it would feel like this:  
> "Now go out and make babies! Your mother and I will sit here in the kitchen while you kids have at it, you can use our room if you want, the bed is much bigger and studier--trust me, haha! *winks at mother*. Now don't forget to use a healthy amount of foreplay, that's what your mother and I find works best. And when you're done you can pee on this pregnancy test to see if it worked, if not well... good thing it's a holiday week, right? Haha!" 
> 
> Of course Mik being a non-sexual creature doesn't understand their reaction to this situation at all, which is absolute embarrassment and horror. 
> 
> And next chapter we will meet Mik's "specialized informant"


	5. It's Called Embarrassment

Mik scowled as the individual on his communicator screen laughed uncontrollably.

"This is not funny," Mik said for the fifth time. "This is a serious matter, otherwise I would not be contacting you," when this comment again yielded no results Mik's scowl deepened. "Don't forget we had a deal," he threatened.

"Ah, ha ha, ah, okay, okay," the human Dib said finally getting control of his laughter, though the occasional chuckled escaped his lips. "No need to get your panties in a bunch."

"Irkens do not wear _panties_ ," Mik said the last word with a naughty and disgusted inflection which only caused the human to break into laughter once again. "Dib- _HUMAN_ ," Mik slammed his fist on the console, he had reached his limit with being blatantly mocked.

"I'm sorry, sorry," Dib said realizing he had pushed the Irken too far, but it didn't stop the smile from splitting his face. "But you have to realize how absolutely hilarious that vid was. It looked just like a public informational broadcast from _years_ ago."

Mik frowned at this, "But it _is_ an informational broadcast."

Dib finally stopped grinning like a fool and seriously studied the stressed out Irken. "You really have no reaction to watching this?"

"I thought it was well done," Mik pouted. "It clearly informs of the mating process, while including the key points you mentioned."

"Yeah, but there are only two ways to react to a vid like this, one is complete laughter," Dib pointed to himself. "The other..." he trailed off and flashed Mik a wicked grin before schooling his features. "Hey, Zim," he called into the base communicator. "Come to my room for moment, there's something I want to show you." Dib turned around to watch the door expectantly as said invader walked through.

"Dib-pig, if this is one of those human initiation rituals, Zim has no time for this now. I am working on something highly unstable in the—AH! What is _he_ doing here?!" Zim screeched pointing to the screen as a blue tint dusted his cheeks.

"Chill, Zim, Mik just wanted your input on the vid he created. He highly values your amazing input," Dib said smoothly and behind his back held up a hand to stop Mik from saying anything in protest.

This instantly placated Zim and he crossed his arms stubbornly showing he wasn't happy, but he came over and waited. Dib played the vid Mik sent over. As Zim watched his expression grew from grumpy to wide-eyed. When the vid was over Dib turned back to Zim, a pleasant grin plastered to his face. "So what'd you think?" Dib asked feigning innocence.

Zim glanced between Dib and Mik and a sudden blue flush took over his face. His jaw dropped and he opened and closed his mouth silently. He pointed at Dib dramatically, but no sound came out as he hastily backpedaled out of the room and down the hall.

Dib turned back to the screen to grin at the stunned Mik. "Is that how the Tallest reacted?"

"Yes, exactly," Mik breathed in amazement. "But with less pointing. Why?" he turned to the human beseeching him for answers.

Dib took pity on the confused, desperate and utterly naive Irken. "It's called embarrassment," Dib explained. "It's an emotion that was completely foreign to Zim until he accidentally activated _that_ part of his PAK. It causes one to be self-conscious and makes you feel shame or awkwardness. This happens when you feel sexual feelings, especially around someone you are interested in."

Mik frowned. "This seems highly counterproductive. What is the purpose of fleeing from a potential mating partner?"

"That's a good question," Dib said thoughtfully. "Well, it might force you to be more aware of yourself and of the other person. It allows space for reflection to see if the interest is purely physical or if there is potential for something more."

"You mean like a mate-bond? A lifetime mate? I've read about them in other species," Mik said.

"Yeah, you could say that. And usually an intense embarrassed feeling can occur if there is a special interest in the other."

"So it is not a bad reaction?" Mik said slowly understanding.

"No, but it can be hard to overcome and both parties will need to eventually work though the emotion if they want anything to happen," Dib said as he smiled wistfully.

"You felt this way towards Zim," Mik said not as a question but confirming an observation. "How did you overcome this feeling?"

"Well," Dib rubbed the back of his neck as a slight pink colored the human's usually pale complexion. Mik was starting to see that the color flushing was a distinct cue of the embarrassed feeling. "We were in one of our usual fights and things became a bit...physical. I sort of lost control of my own reactions and Zim noticed my _interest_ and his curiosity sort of became stronger than any embarrassment. Though he'll never admit having interest himself," Dib gave a small quirky smile. "He still blames me for being _smelly_ and that it overloads his system making him act stupid. But that's just his embarrassment talking. I take that to mean that he finds me irresistible and has strong feelings for me."

"Zim has no such feelings!" a slightly panicked voice said from behind Dib. When the human turned Mik saw Zim peeking around the corner and pointing at the human with an angry expression, though his face was still tinted blue and the color was even more prominent than before.

"Admit it Zim," Dib taunted. "I'm your love-pig," as an aside Dib added to Mik, "Embarrassment makes it hard to admit the truth."

" _LIES_ ! You're _LYING!_ " Zim screeched from his protective position behind the doorway.

Mik saw the humans eyes flash with an evil mischief. "Okay, Zim, I'm lying," Dib said quieting Zim down, but the Irken glared suspiciously at the human. "Why don't you come over and answer Mik's question then. I'm sure an Irken as superior as yourself would be able to give an amazing answer."

"Zim _is_ amazing," he said quietly before straightening and marching proudly over next to Dib. "What question do you have medical drone that the _AMAZING_ Zim can answer. Tell _meee_ ," he said placing his hands on the console. Next to him Dib nodded to Mik in encouragement as he grinned like he knew where the secret stash of the best donuts were.

Mik was curious about Dib's reaction, but he needed answers so he cleared his throat. "Well, as we discussed in our last conversation, the inevitable occurred and we ran out of viable DNA for cloning. The Control Brains started a breeding program and selected a group of Irkens to bring in the next generation of smeets. Of course, the Tallest were included and it was discovered that they were physically compatible with each other. However, when I activated the reproductive function in their PAKs and showed them the mating vid they reacted similarly to how you did just now."

Zim's eyes grew wide and he became completely still. "Other Irkens will see the vid?" he asked his voice flat and toneless.

"Yes, but only those who will be mating."

"The vid you made from information taken from Zim?"

"Yes, but only myself and the Control Brains are aware of that, as we agreed."

"And the Tallest also watched it?"

"Yes, which is why--"

"--So the Tallest will be mating with _each other_?" Zim cut him off and his voice squeaked a little at the last words.

"Yes, Tallest Purple is like you, female-recessive, so he will be--"

"Ahhhhhh!" Zim pointed at Mik his shout drowning out Mik's words.

"So he will be--" Mik tried, but was cut off again.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"HE WILL BE THE RECEIVER!"

"AHHHHHH!" Zim screamed louder and flailing his arms back-peddled once more out of the room, leaving Dib doubled over and holding his sides as he laughed.

"Dib-human, explain!" Mik scowled both frustrated and confused.

"Hehehe, it's like learning that your parents had to have had sex," Dib chuckled. "Zim idolizes the Tallest to the point that it's stupid. I believe the mental image of them being involved in an act that is less then...well... that can be... messy has him slightly traumatized. Which is hilarious," Dib added. "And perfect revenge for something that he did a few days ago."

"What did he do?" Mik asked curious.

Dib blushed. "That's not important right now, what's important is getting the Tallest together right?"

"Yeeees," Mik said drawing out the word. He would have pressed the human for more information, but Dib was correct there were more important things to discuss.

"So, from what you said, what happened is that they both became self-conscious and thanks to you showing them the vid right away and right next to each other, they became highly embarrassed knowing that they would be expected to do such acts with each other. As I said, there is more embarrassment when the person you want to be intimate with is someone special to you. Also they may be embarrassed thinking that others will know what they will be doing.

"There isn't much you can do about the latter, they'll just have to get over that. But for the Tallest themselves, it isn't easy or comfortable but the awkwardness does pass quicker if they spend more time around each other, or when curiosity or lust becomes a stronger emotion than embarrassment," Dib explained.

"How do I accomplish that?" Mik asked.

"You can't do much except lock them in the same room and see what happens I guess," Dib scratched his jaw as he thought. "To help with the lust you could provide some visual stimulation."

"Visual stimulation?" Mik repeated.

"Er, well, actually never mind that. I doubt there is any Irken porn out there. Just put them together and see if they are naturally attracted to each other. If not there isn't much you can do. You can't force this type of thing," Dib said pointedly.

Mik sighed. "I am aware of that, which is why the time and space was set up on Irk for the selected Irkens to pick their partners. However, the Control Brains—thanks to Tallest Red's suggestion—are now obsessed with the idea of a Tallest smeet."

"Heh," Dib chuckled. "The Control Brains sound like impatient parents who want grandbabies."

"Of course the smeets will be grand, they are Irken," Mik said with a haughty sniff.

Dib shook his head not bothering to correct the Irken as he wouldn't understand anyway. "Back to the main topic, their reactions are normal so relax. You might want to let them know that too, tell them it's a side effect of mating or whatever and just let them have space and time. Nothing will happen and their embarrassment will get worse if others hover around them."

Mik hummed thoughtfully and nodded. "Thank you, Dib-human. This consult was not part of the original agreement and the Irken Empire thanks you for your continued support."

Dib winced at this but eventually gave a weary smile. "No problem, I suppose. I was able to get revenge on Zim. Just remember to uphold your end of the bargain."

"Yes, of course, the Control Brains have already assigned Earth to the 'do not bother' list," Mik assured him.

"Good, well good luck with your breeding program," Dib said politely.

"Yes, and er, good luck with your, um extended learning facility," Mik said struggling to also reply with the human social nicety.

"It's called college and thanks, Dib out," the human said before disconnecting their communication line.

* * *

[Zim's reaction to the vid](https://photos.app.goo.gl/PFbpFF73UjQxxT5n7)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Dib and Zim made an appearance. 
> 
> Zim (quite by accident) became the first sexually active Irken in a long long time. It's not said exactly, but from many fan canons and maybe hinted in the show we know that Zim has worked on his PAK. My idea is that he is always making 'improvements' and adding in some of his own inventions. Only the super talented or super reckless Irken experiments on their own PAK. It's kind of like preforming surgery on yourself. not many recommend or condone it. 
> 
> During one such 'improvement' Zim activated some hidden part of his programming or crossed some wires that provoked a physical, chemical and emotional change in his body. Since it is a fact that he is a defective Irken, his PAK is unique and doesn't work as it should. I also image that it has a different relationship with his body and that he thinks more with his organic brain than other Irkens, which is why he is so erratic. Switching between his organic brain and his PAK causes him to have either no focus or allows him to hyper focus. It also disrupts his thinking process making him impulsive and slightly illogical in his plans, ideas and thoughts. However, it also makes him much more passionate and versatile in his emotional range, though he would ever admit to feeling such things. 
> 
> How Zim and thus Dib became involved with the Control Brains and why they are allowed to just do their own thing is explained much later. In the mean time Zim and Dib and live on Earth how they see fit and are now acting as Mik's unofficial consults. In this, again while not mentioned, Zim is aware that his previous mission was fake and that he truly is banished from the Irken race. This event happened much earlier in this timeline and currently Zim (with Dib's help) has adjusted to his life on Earth, a life that involves much sexy time with Dib. 
> 
> I haven't decided yet if I want to write this or not as a oneshot later in time, but it's hinted at that the vid Mik made was due to his ability to gain ~intimate~ knowledge about the inner workings of how Irken bodies have sex. Such details are not recorded in the Control Brains' archives so in order to find out how the bits and pieces fit together Mike's needed ~detailed~ information. And of course being a medical scientist, just having an oral account of what happens wasn't enough. In order to make a completely informative vid he would need to ~observe~ such acts himself. Maybe not physically there in person, but a very very very secure and private video call would suffice. Of course such information wouldn't be given for free and a very advantageous deal would have had to be made for all parties to agree.
> 
> Dib, for his part, wanted to make sure that if Irkens were going to be "forced" into making smeets then he would try to make it so that the Irkens involved would treat each other well. When talking to Mik he highly stressed the importance of being respectful and non-forceful about everything. And that the ones involved with each other needed to treat each other as equals and be ~very~ attentive to the pleasure of their partner. In order to make sure this information was properly conveyed Dib also had to give the medic a ~thorough~ explanation of how an Irken might pleasure their partner regardless of which parts they had. Fortunately (unfortunately in Zim's opinion) Zim is also recessive-female and their "lesson" could cover both genders.
> 
> Which is why Zim is completely mortified each time he sees the medic.


	6. Fix it!

Red paced around in his room anxiously. He couldn't sit still, if he stopped moving his mind would replay the vid but instead of small animated Irkens his mind replayed it with him and Purple in the respective roles. Every time he thought about it he felt his face flush and a weird tingling sensation appeared all over his skin, like he was being watched. The fact that he and Purple would have to do the same was appalling to him, but he was curious and interested too. The duel feelings were too much for his PAK to handle and it wasn't properly filtering out the confusing emotions, which left him with excess anxious energy. If his body kept this up he was sure to go into a sugar shortage shock.

In his respective room Purple sat huddled in the dark corner of his closet. Being unable to see anything seemed to help the jittery feeling in his spooch. If he couldn't see then no one could see him either and after watching the vid it felt like all the eyes of Irk were on him. The other Irkens would know what he _looked_ like, know what he and Red would be _doing._

Irkens barely had any skin contact with each other except for the occasional claw on someone's face while fighting for snacks. The idea of being completely exposed and without any type of covering protection was just...unheard of. And he would have to be exposed in front of Red and touch and be touched by Red.

Purple made a weird noise that sounded a lot like, _"Heenurmph,"_ as he rolled back and forth in the corner. Afraid of what he felt compelled to do, Purple wrapped his arms around his knees. He wanted to reach out and touch Red's antenna like in the vid, but at the same time he wanted to push Red into the garbage shoot and run screaming through the Massive. The two options were so polar opposite that he felt like he was being torn in half and the only way to stay whole was to curl up and stay hidden.

"My Tallest, I—my Tallest?" Purple heard the specialist Mik enter his room. A moment later, he heard Mik knock on his cleansing room's door. "My Tallest are you there?" there was a _swoosh_ of a door opening and the voice echoed a little more. "My Tallest? Where...?" The sound of small boots tapped around outside Purple's hiding place and the closet door slid open, making Purple squint at the sudden light. "No, not—GAH!" Mik shrieked as he caught sight of the two large shining eyes in the bottom corner of the closet. Clutching a hand to his spooch Mik panted, "M-My Tallest, you almost made my spooch explode. What...what are you doing in here?"

"Close the door," Purple hissed as if the light was burning him.

Startled, Mik immediately closed the door. "My Tallest are you well?" Mik asked through the door.

"No," Purple replied. "This...this is your fault," Purple replied with vigor and leaned over to shove the door aside. On his knees he was eye-level with the specialist, but that wasn't on his mind at the moment. Purple lashed out and wrapped his four long fingers around Mik's neck and began throttling him. "You did it wrong! You messed up my PAK. It can't process correctly anymore. This horrible opposite feeling is your fault," Purple growled out.

"It's called embarrassment, My Tallest," Mik said gasping as he tried to free himself. "It makes you feel self-conscious, awkward or shameful. It's a normal side effect of the mating process."

Purple stopped shaking Mik and glared at him. "Well, I don't like it. Make it stop. Fix it," he demanded releasing the smaller and then standing to his full height.

"Yes, there is a way," Mik said rubbing his neck and checking for damage, there was none. "If you will come with me?" Mik asked hopefully and trotted over to the door. He glanced back and saw Purple begrudgingly following him. Mik motioned for Purple to sit on the couch, which Purple did very reluctantly. A slight color dusted his cheeks as he stared ahead at the blank screen. Mik entered Red's room and Purple heard angry accusatory shouting, much like Purple had done. He heard Mik's hasty voice mumble things reassuringly and not too long after Mik returned to the common living space with Red following him.

Purple made eye contact with Red through the reflection in the screen and quickly diverted his eyes. Red sat next to him on the couch at Mik's instruction, leaving as much space as he could between them. Mik stood in front of them and clasped his hands together. The long uncomfortable silence stretched on and Mik's antennae lowered as he frowned.

"Is the embarrassment feeling still there?"

"Yes!" the two blurted in unison and somehow that made the embarrassment worse.

Mik continued to frown in bewilderment. "Hmm, he said that spending more time together would lessen the feeling," he mumbled.

Purple's antennae perked up, "Who said?" he asked suspiciously narrowing his eyes at Mik.

"My consulting expert in mating," Mik answered unconsciously as he was still deep in thought about what he had done wrong.

"Wait," Purple lashed out and grabbed Mik by his uniform and pulled him up so Purple could glare into his eyes. "I thought _you_ were the expert."

" _Ah_ , well," Mik said nervously noticing his blunder. His eyes darted around as he struggled in Purple's grasp. "I'm the _Irken_ expert."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Purple spat, his anger rising as a terrible thought formed in his mind. He _desperately_ wanted this thought to be proven wrong. "Tell me!" Purple shouted as he violently shook his captive.

"There is an alien who is an expert in Irken mating rituals," Mik admitted. "It was through his information that we were able to create the mating instructional vids."

"So not only will other Irkens know, but other races too?" Purple said feeling his body burn through sugar at an alarming rate. "What? Did you announce it to the whole universe?!" Purple shouted.

"No!" Mik said quickly. "It is only one alien and he will not inform any others. He has engaged in the same acts himself and has also experienced the same emotions. He informed me that by spending more time together this feeling will pass, but that it is a good feeling."

"Good?" Red repeated. "How is this feeling good?"

"It is an indication that the partner causing the emotion is of a special interest and that there is potential for a strong bond," Mik said.

"We're co-Tallest," Purple said, "Of course we're special we know that already, so we don't need this emotion. Find a way to get rid of it," he hissed.

"Um, I understand that you are both eager to mate but--" Mik began but was quickly cut off by Red.

"--Woah! What do you mean by that?"

"This feeling is the only thing holding you back from mating, correct? I understand that you have to rid yourselves of this emotion so you can engage in mating, but this is something that...My Tallest?" Mik asked hesitantly when both their expressions froze and the blue tint flushed over their entire faces. Purple dropped him and Mik hastily scrambled to his feet.

Purple stood up suddenly, "I just remembered something that I need to do... it's very important and, um, I should go do it," he said then quickly retreated to his room despite Mik's request to come back.

Mik turned helplessly to Red, who cleared his throat and began talking in hushed tones. "Well, I don't think I could even _imagine_ doing what was shown in the vid with anyone _other_ than Purple. However..." he trailed off and looked away finding an interesting spot of the ceiling to stare at. "It's not that I'm not curious, but even without this odd uncomfortable feeling I...I wouldn't even know how to start."

Mik frowned. "Was that not clear? You start with touching antennae and then other sensory exploration."

"Yesss," hissed Red, turning back to him. "But _how_ do you start doing that, hm? I can't just go up to Purple and just reach out and touch his antenna!"

"Why not?" Mik asked genuinely curious.

Red sputtered incoherently for a few moments. "Because... Because I just can't. It feels weird, like a breach of code. We're co-Tallest--equals--I can't just do what I want. What if Purple hates it? Or doesn't want me to? Besides, he can't sit next to me for an extended amount of time. I doubt he'd let me touch him. And I'm..." Red dropped his voice down into a very low whisper. "I'm afraid to ask," he admitted to the specialist. If he didn't know that Mik had authority over him, given by the Control Brains, he never would have admitted that.

Mik mulled this over thoughtfully. "It seems that this embarrassment feeling is causing more problems than I thought it would and that currently curiosity and the desire to mate is being drowned out by this feeling." Mik gave a resigned sigh. "I will find a solution to this. Could you go check on Tallest Purple? I suspect that the important matter he had to see to was just an excuse to leave." Mik said a bit apologetically.

Red glanced at Purple's door, but reluctantly nodded. He also wanted to make sure Purple wasn't doing anything rash again and Purple didn't know yet about Mik's authority. It made the most sense for him to go check on him. Activating his hover belt Red entered Purple's room, the broken door opening without a problem for him. He hovered in the doorway, but didn't see Purple.

"Purple?" Red called slightly anxious as he went further into the room. The door to his cleansing chamber was open so he began making his way over and the automatic door shut behind him again. He wouldn't have given it a second thought except his alert hearing picked up on a very subtle, but very distinct sound coming from behind him.

Red whirled back around and went right up to the door, but it remained shut. "No," he breathed panic setting in. He slammed his fist against the door, "Hey!" he called out.

"I'm sorry, my Tallest," Mik's muffled voice said from the other side and weirdly enough he did sound sorry. "I see no other way around this. I've ordered the ship to lock this door. The only way for this feeling to pass is to spend extended amounts of time together. Snacks will be sent to this room through the ship's systems at regular intervals. I will check on your progress periodically and I will alert you if your presence should be required on the ship. Please do your best to surpass the embarrassment and at least try mating."

"Mik? Medical Drone Mik!" Red slammed his fist against the door, but he didn't get a response.

"Red? What happened?" Purple's asked and Red spun around to see his co-Tallest peeking out from his closet.

Red pointed to the door indignantly. "We've been locked in here together."

"What?!" Purple exclaimed and rushed over to the door to check for himself. When the door didn't open he tried what Red did and slammed his fists against it. "Computer! Open this door," Purple demanded of the ship.

" **Access denied** ," the computer's voice said. " **The d** **oor is locked by Control Brain level authority.** "

Purple hissed in anger at the door. "They would think of something like this." He kicked the door for good measure. "What about snacks?"

In answer there was a ding from the ceiling and a tube opened up above Purple's bed depositing a small pile of chips and other assorted snacks. Purple scowled at the pile, but even in anger he couldn't resist and grabbed for his favorites some of which were also Red's favorites.

"Hey!" Red protested momentarily forgetting about embarrassment in lieu of his desire for snacks. He jumped on Purple's bed and hastily fought to grab for the good snacks. Once his arms were filled with his winnings Red scooted back to open a bag of chips. Purple did the same and they went through a few snacks before realizing the situation once again. Purple's eyes widened slightly then he gathered up his horde and fled back to his closet closing the door behind him.

Red scowled at the closed door feeling a little envious that he didn't have his own hidey-hole. Instead he grabbed a few pillows and an extra blanket off of Purple's bed and cozied up against the wall farthest from Purple's closet. Red ate his snacks and after a while took off his Tallest armor, as it was uncomfortable to sit in on the floor. He was just finishing his last snack and beginning to wonder when more would come when the tube reappeared and deposited more snacks onto the bed. Jumping up, Red scrambled forward as he heard the closet door slide open. This time he was first and grabbed a few of his favorites.

However, when his co-leader didn't immediately come over to fight over the snacks with him, Red glanced up to see Purple watching him through narrowed eyes from the safety of his closet. He also noted the blue tint on his cheeks, which caused Red to flush blue himself. Quickly looking away, Red focused back to the snacks. There was about the same amount as last time, so he took his half and went back to his corner. Once he'd retreated, Purple left the sanctuary of his closet to gather his half of the snacks. It seemed he'd prefer to get second pick over getting close to him and having that embarrassment feeling intensify, which suited Red just fine. He'd get first pick then.

Some time passed and they fell into a routine. Snacks would drop, Red would collect his, then Purple, then they go back to their places and sit in further silence. By Red's internal clock a full cycle of twenty-five hours had passed and he began to develop a new feeling. It wasn't entirely unknown to him, but he'd never felt it to this extent: boredom.

He was SO bored. There was absolutely nothing to do. Mik cut off his communications to the rest of the Massive and when he'd asked the computer to pull down a screen so he could watch the intergalactic network it told him access was denied. He couldn't even check on the invaders or read any messages. Mik had taken the 'spend time together' very seriously and had efficiently removed all distractions. The only problem was Red was sure Purple was in no mood to even converse with him. The only time Red saw him was when the snacks were delivered. If Purple wasn't even willing to be around him to fight for the best snacks then he certainly wouldn't want to talk with Red simply because he was bored.

Red knew better than anyone the longevity of Purple's stubbornness. If Purple didn't want to do something, or didn't like something, little could change his mind. They had argued for cycles about the Megadoomers and their design—or rather Purple's want to change the design (even though they were perfectly fine as they were)—just because he didn't like them.

So Red brooded on his own and repeatedly tried to think of things to occupy his mind; plans for future conquest, a list of projects he wanted to check on and other mind-numbing tasks. However, more often than not his thoughts would wander back to the mating vid and his embarrassment would flare up, squishing down any brave thoughts of trying to test Purple's stubbornness.

The only break in his boredom was when the snacks would come and he got to experience the brief excitement of seeing what treats were delivered. When the next round was dropped, Red went over as usual to gather his choices. He paused when he saw one of the packages that had these little gummy things filled with an even sweeter filling. Red loved them, but they were Purple's absolute favorite. Normally, they would fight over the package because for some reason they were never sent two at a time. Usually Purple would win, his love for the treat making him extra scrappy. This was a rare chance for Red to have them, but he felt compelled to leave them for Purple. So he took his half of the other snacks back to his corner as usual.

Purple waited until Red was away and already ripping into his bag of chips before he hovered over to the bed for his share. Gathering up the bright little packages his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the gummies. Red watched out of the corner of his eye as Purple's eyes snapped up to stare at him with his mouth open in slight surprise. Their eyes briefly met and Purple was quick to look away. He snatched up his snacks, then glanced back at Red.

"Thanks," Purple mumbled quietly, so quiet that Red almost hadn't heard over the sound of his chewing. He paused and saw Purple's face flush with blue before his co-leader rushed back and hid once more.

A warm feeling flooded Red's body, it felt nice. He was really glad that he'd left those snacks for Purple. He munched happily, the memory of Purple's face replaying in his mind and filling up his once bored thoughts. He didn't get as strong as an embarrassment feeling that time, it actually felt pretty good. The next time the snacks came he'd try it again and see if the feeling repeated itself.

However, he didn't get a chance. The moment the tube appeared Purple bolted out of his hiding spot, scooped up half the horde and fled back to the closet. Disappointed and a bit taken aback, Red took his time getting up and walking over to the bed. With a sigh he bent to collect his half when something flew at him smacking him in the head. Blinking in surprise as it hadn't hurt at all, Red stared down at the bag of chips that had hit him; they were _his_ favorite. He looked up just in time to see the closet door slam shut again. Red grinned widely. That happy feeling came back ten-fold, causing little flip-flopping feelings in his spooch. His grin turned mischievous as that feeling drove away all the embarrassment.

A plan formed in his mind, the perfect plan to alleviate his boredom. He'd use Purple's stubbornness against him and draw him out of hiding. Red was tired of being alone. He'd get his co-leader to interact with him again or he'd eat his own spooch.

 

* * *

[Purple in the closet](https://photos.app.goo.gl/zp9FhEf2J1NKEwjp9)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's more dangerous than a hormonal teenager? A BORED hormonal teenager. Watch out Purple!
> 
>  
> 
> Mik would make the worst girlfriend (like 90's version bffs). He'd be at a sleepover with his friend and probably say something like: "you know last time when you told me about that horribly embarrassing story about you and your crush? well, I told the story in complete detail to some of the popular girls since they are the experts on acquiring boyfriends and after much laughter they said..." 
> 
> Poor thing wouldn't even understand why his friend would be horrified and wouldn't want to speak to him. I love Mik though, he is a fun character to write and I take great pleasure in using his naive and oblivious nature to torture other characters.
> 
> The Tallest are really freaking out now. They are both highly interested in the acts in the vid thanks to the curiosity that comes with reaching 'that age', but at the same time they still hold their old views of such 'lesser and primitive' acts. Also the sudden intensity and seemingly uncontrollable and intrusive thoughts about each other are overwhelming and since their PAKs aren't filtering out these new feelings it's freaking them out. Irkens aren't used to feeling out-of-control of their own emotions, so while they would never admit it having such feelings is slightly scary. 
> 
> Purple is affected more by this whole process because a side effect that occurs is that their PAKs are unable to filter out their other emotions as effectively as before. So as the story progresses a lot of his deep seeded complexes will begin to surface more strongly as his mental state starts to have a greater impact on his actions. 
> 
> Red on the other hand is affected like most teenagers would be and becomes very interested in the idea of mating, or at the very least of being around Purple more while all these new thoughts and feelings emerge. He's always thought highly of Purple and is both impressed and entertained by his co-leader. Prior to all this, Purple is probably the only Irken that Red viewed as his equal even before they became Tallest's. To Red there is some quality in Purple that he can't quite name that draws him in. Previously he'd never given it much thought but now with all these new feelings surfacing he's finding himself paying more and more attention to Purple and finding new enjoyment being around him that he hadn't really noticed before.


	7. What do you want?

The next time the snacks dropped down Red made sure to act fast. He darted over and this time he took all the snacks with him. When Purple opened his closet door he immediately noticed the lack of his share. The completely scandalized look on his face, quickly replaced with anger, had Red openly grinning at him. Red pushed half the snacks into a pile then patted the ground next to him clearly indicating to his co-Tallest that if he wanted his share he'd have to come over and get them. Purple glared at him then promptly shut the door again, just as Red expected him to. Purple was way too stubborn to give in that easily. Now all Red had to do was raise the stakes and set the bait.

Red waited and leisurely ate his share of the snacks, very careful in his selection of treats. He made sure to set aside most of Purple's favorites. When the next drop was due to come soon, Red went over to the bed and waited. The tube opened just as Purple's closet door did and he ran out only to stumble back when he saw that Red was already there, the snacks falling into the blanket he held up to catch them. Red dropped the snacks in a pile, adding Purple's share to his previously set aside pile.

"Want some?" Red taunted. "Come on over."

Purple hissed at him then slammed the door shut. _Stakes raised,_ Red thought triumphantly. At this point Purple had been without snacks for several hours and he was undoubtedly feeling the effects of hunger. He was sure Purple had a few snacks stashed away in the closet from before they were locked in here, so he knew Purple wasn't in danger of being sugar deprived. Red didn't want to hurt Purple, he just wanted him desperate enough for his plan to work.

Quickly and as loudly as he could, Red plowed through his share of the snacks. Before he had rationed them out, keeping himself content. This time, however, he stuffed his face fully enjoying the full feeling from gorging, a feeling only the very tall were privy to. He made sure Purple's snacks were arranged into a tempting pile before making his way over to the cleansing room conveniently located next to Purple's closet. The only thing better than gorging on snacks was taking a cleansing gel bath after gorging on snacks, which was exactly what Red wanted Purple to think he was doing. He noisily turned on the cleansing gel then hid by the open door waiting for Purple to take the bait.

He didn't have to wait long as his perked up antennae picked up on the sound of the closet door slowly opening. Purple crept out of the closet, purposefully not using the hover belt as it caused too much noise, he'd also discarded his Tallest robes for extra maneuverability. Red held his breath and hid so Purple wouldn't see him, but he would be able to see Purple as he sneaked over to his bed towards the lovely bait Red had placed for him.

Once Purple was over the bed Red slipped out of the cleaning room doorway and into the open door of the closet. Like Red, Purple had piled up various items in a corner to sit on. Red pressed himself into the opposite corner and curled up, taking up as little space as possible. Without armor or his Tallest robes (he'd taken those off before acting on his plan) he was left in only the standard issue black pants, boots and the black form-fitting shirt they both wore under their armor. The shirt completely covered his chest, neck and partially down his shoulders. The only exposed skin he had was his arms, hands and head. There wasn't much he could do about his head, but Red tucked his arms up behind his knees blending in with the darkness as much as he could. Purple hadn't bothered to turn on the closet light choosing instead to sit in the dark, which was fine since they could both see fairly well in low/little light.

Red heard Purple snatch up as much of the pile of snacks as he could, if the loud crinkling was any indication. Purple then chose speed over caution as he headed back for the closet. Fearful that Red might hear him grabbing his snacks and try to stop him, he practically dove into the closet and slammed the door shut behind him. Settling back into his corner with a triumphant grin, Purple tore into the first bag he could get his claws on and ripped the top open with his teeth. He devoured the treat ravenously and the second and third bags were consumed in a similar manner. The fourth bag Purple ate slow enough that Red figured he was actually tasting what he was eating. His eyes were still glued to the pile of snacks and Red felt a tinge of guilt for his co-leader's obvious hunger. But then again, all he had to do was be willing come close to him to get his snacks, so Red didn't feel that bad.

Purple tugged on the fifth bag, trying to open it with only his four fingers as his mouth was busy chewing his last bite. Red finally decided to make his presence known to the oblivious Irken.

"Need some help with that?"

With a startled yelp and a jerk the bag was ripped open sending chips flying everywhere. Red's grin widened at Purple's wide-eyed shock, his mouth hanging open as his breath caught in his throat. However, it didn't stay stuck long as Purple let out a strangled shriek.

"Whaaa— _Red_?!" Purple squeaked, glaring at him as he stopped fruitlessly trying to back further into the wall. "What are you—get out of my closet!" Purple snapped, anger taking over his curiosity.

Red uncurled from his balled up position to sit more leisurely, he stretched out his long legs and would have touched Purple's if his co-Tallest hadn't tucked up his knees to avoid him. "It wasn't any fun being by myself. You seem to like being in here, so I wanted to try it too."

"I'm not in here because I like it," Purple said, his eyes pinned to Red's feet as they were stretching out and trying to poke at his. Purple shifted his feet every few moments to stay out of their reach. "I was trying to make this suffocating feeling go away and you being here isn't helping. So get out."

"Mine's pretty much gone," Red admitted earning a hateful and envious glare from Purple. "But I got this new feeling in its place and it's so much worse."

"What?" Purple asked a bit fearful.

Red picked up one of the snack bags and popped it open. Purple watched with incredulous eyes and his mouth opened wordlessly as Red reached into the bag, took out one of the Irken chips and ate it. "Boredom," Red said gravely.

" _WHAT are you doing!_?" Purple shrieked absolutely livid.

"What?" Red widened his eyes to appear innocent as he ate another chip. Purple eyes followed the chip to his mouth and Red had to work very hard to keep his face neutral.

"Those are _my_ snacks!" Purple pointed to the bag Red held.

"You've got plenty," Red said looking around him at the scattered bags.

"Says the Irken who just gorged himself and whom I had to steal back my share from," Purple hissed angrily.

"I didn't take your share," Red said as Purple sputtered unintelligibly, his aghast so apparent on his face that Red found himself smiling. He couldn't exactly say why, but this was the most fun he'd ever experienced. "You could have had your snacks any time you wanted. I set them aside for you, didn't I? It's not my fault that you were too stubborn to come out of the closet."

"It _IS_ your fault! Everything, all of this is your fault!" Purple shouted then lashed out to grab the bag of chips from Red's hand. His hunger was obvious as he stuffed the rest of the chips into his mouth while maintaining a heated glare. "You don't deserve any snacks."

Red frowned a bit at that. "I gave you your favorite snack didn't I? And I left you a lot of good ones here," Red gestured to the pile scattered around them.

"And I gave you one of your favorites, so we're even," Purple retorted. "So get out."

"Make me."

"... _What_?" Purple narrowed his eyes at the challenge.

"Make me," Red repeated feeling confident, he smiled smugly at Purple. "If you want me out, make me move. Though I doubt you can, your PAK is sealed and you are afraid to be in the same space as me much less touch me."

Purple bristled at the insult. "I am _not_ afraid."

"Oh yeah? Prove it," Red goaded and he suddenly felt like they were back at the Academy and he was trying to provoke Purple into doing something stupid that would ultimately get them both in trouble. Grinning, Red decided to put the finishing touch in. "Shorty," he taunted using the old insult he had for Purple. Despite knowing that they were the exact same height Red had called Purple that constantly, mostly because it set off the other Irken like nothing else could.

Purple's eye twitched. That was the only warning Red had before the infuriated Irken launched at him like a coiled spring. Luckily for Red, Purple had also removed his gauntlets so the punch he received to the face didn't hurt as much as it could have, but it still sent him sprawling to the side. Purple was quick to follow, pouncing on him with the intent of dealing repeated blows. Red recovered enough to grab Purple's fist and yank, putting his opponent off balance. Purple fell on top of him and before he could recover, Red rolled them both over so he was pinning Purple down with his weight. His upper hand didn't last long as Purple dealt another swift punch to Red's cheek with his other hand and rolled them back over again.

The two wrestled on the closet floor, though Red wasn't throwing any punches, he wanted to win without hurting his wound-up co-Tallest. Hurting Purple would ruin the game he made for himself. They were evenly matched and neither one of them could keep the other pinned down for long. However, as their game drew on Red could tell he was going to win. Purple was quickly losing momentum and strength from his lack of snacks, while Red had plenty of energy. Eventually, Red pinned Purple down with his hands above his head. Purple struggled, but he couldn't muster the necessary strength to throw Red off.

In a huff, Purple rested his head back against the floor, his body going slack from exhaustion. Red grinned victorious. "What do you want?" Purple asked startling Red. It seemed that he wasn't the only one thinking nostalgically. They wrestled like this many times in the past and the rule was that the loser would give something up to the winner. Usually it was an extra snack ration or switching unwanted duties. It had been a way for both of them to save face when losing, as long as they gave up the promised item they wouldn't have to admit defeat.

Red stared down at Purple. Honestly there wasn't much Red could ask of Purple that he didn't already have. Though the way Purple was grumpily staring at the scattered snacks, Red could imagine what his co-leader thought he wanted. As he watched, Purple's antennae twitch in annoyance and Red thought of what he wanted.

Two PAK legs with clamps at the end extended out and took hold of Purple's wrists, keeping him pinned to the floor while Red sat back and tapped his chin thoughtfully. Purple glared enviously at the PAK legs. Reaching out Red grabbed a snack bag, seemingly still lost in his thoughts. He opened it and when Purple opened his mouth to protest, Red popped one of the gummy treats in. Surprised, but hungry, Purple quickly chewed and swallowed. When he tried to speak again, Red dropped another in. He also ate one himself, still humming thoughtfully. He didn't want Purple to know how closely he was paying attention to him.

The bag was soon empty, so Red grabbed another and repeated the process until Purple was opening his mouth on his own waiting for Red to feed him. Now that he was being fed, some of Purple's anger faded as he waited for Red to make up his mind about what he wanted.

Watching sneakily out of the corner of his eyes, Red held a gummy between his two fingers, hovering it a few inches from Purple's face. When Purple opened his mouth expectantly, Red pretended to be distracted and didn't let go of the treat. Scowling, Purple took action, surprising Red. He thought Purple would start arguing again, but instead Purple stuck out his long tongue, wrapping it around the gummy between Red's fingers and took it from them. Red felt a blue tint spread across his cheeks. Purple's tongue had brushed lightly against his fingers and the sensation sent a jolt down his spine.

"Hey," Purple said still chewing. "Either keep them coming or get off so I can eat them myself."

Blank faced, Red pulled out another gummy and held it over Purple's face. When he didn't drop it, Purple huffed in annoyance then snaked his tongue out again to take it. This time when his tongue withdrew, Red purposefully moved his finger so it slid against Purple's tongue. Purple twitched in surprise, but he didn't drop the gummy. Chewing he looked up at Red, who stared down at him with blue dusting across his cheeks. Purple's eyes widened as a faint blue appeared on his face as well.

He swallowed, "R-Red?"

Red took a small breath, "I know what I want." Purple stared back at him, worry beginning to show on his face. "I..." Red's attention drifted up. "I want to touch your antennae."

 _"What_?" Purple squeaked, said antennae jerking upright before flattening defensively against the back of his head. "No!"

"Why not?" Red pouted. "That's what I want. We don't have any duties to do right now and we have snacks supplied to us constantly. It's either that or admit defeat," Red said taking a gamble. At this moment he wasn't sure which Purple would be more stubborn about.

An array of unpleasant emotions and expressions crossed Purple's face before it settled into a grumpy one. Purple turned his head away and ever so slowly the antenna closest to Red raised slightly and leaned towards him.

A bubbly feeling rose up in Red, he couldn't believe his luck! Slowly he reached out with his two fingers. He saw Purple watching him out of the corner of his eyes, then shut them tightly as Red grew closer. Red was very careful, he didn't want to hurt Purple, but ever since that vid he had this urge to touch them. He placed his fingers under the offered antenna and just lightly held it near the base. Purple flinched and kept his eyes tightly closed.

It was weird. Red knew what an antenna felt like, he had two of his own that he had to keep groomed, but touching Purple's seemed different. The reason they were so sensitive was due the very fine fuzz-like hairs covering the stalk, they were essential in detecting vibrations, scents and sounds. This also made them very sensitive to physical touch and as young smeets they were told how to fight and keep them out of harm's way. They were also told of horror stories about what would be done to them if they were ever captured and how the torture would be beyond painful, which was why every Irken on duty was given a self-destruct button.

That Purple was allowing Red to touch them was a huge gesture of trust, or it just showed how stubborn and prideful his co-leader could be. But the vid said that it wouldn't hurt him and Red really wanted to try touching them. He slid his fingers along the stalk, fascinated by the soft warm sensation. It never felt like that when he groomed his own antennae. Purple gasped audibly and his eyes flew open.

Red immediately stilled his hand, "Did that hurt?" he asked with a worried frown. Purple shivered and Red could feel him become tense. Very quickly Purple's eyes darted over to him before looking away, the blue on his face becoming more pronounced.

"No," Purple said in a very controlled voice. "Are...are you done?"

Red thought about that a moment. He studied his companion's face and felt a smirk forming. "No," he said simply and let his finger slide to the end of Purple's antenna. Purple shut his eyes immediately and shivered again. Red was going to be satisfied with that when his own antennae began twitching. There was this new and incredibly alluring scent in the air. It wasn't sugar, Red knew that scent anywhere, this was stronger and much more enticing. It wasn't a new snack as he didn't hear the tube open, which was good because if there was a snack with this sort of scent Red was worried that there would be bloodshed between Irkens in order to get it.

He glanced around trying to pinpoint the origin, but it was difficult because it seemed to be everywhere. While he was looking around his fingers absentmindedly brushed against Purple's antennae in a small stroking gesture. Red didn't notice the effect his touch was having on Purple. He was still distracted by the scent until Purple made a small noise that had Red's antennae perking up.

Purple was shaking with the effort to keep still and his eyes were squeezed shut. The antennae in Red's hand was twitching. Noting that his fingers were lightly touching the stalk, Red exaggerated the motion by gently grasping Purple's antennae and running his fingers down then back up the entire length with light but firm pressure.

The Irken under him tensed then completely relaxed as an unbidden " _Ohhh,_ " escaped through his lips. The noise caught them both off guard and Purple tensed back up, the blue flush taking over his face as he stared at Red with a slightly horrified expression and Red stared back at Purple. His own antennae perked and fell forward, twitching slightly. He'd found the source of the scent; it was Purple. An odd thought popped into Red's head. He wanted to wrap his own antennae in that scent, he wanted to taste that flavor on his tongue. He wanted to taste Purple. Red was a bit startled by his own thoughts as intense as they were, he was slightly afraid that he was becoming cannibalistic.

However the more thought he gave it, the more he was able to discard that idea. He felt _hungry_ that was true, but it was different. The hunger didn't come from his spooch or the normal stomach part of his spooch. He felt warmth and a heaviness flood his body that settled in his lower abdomen. Red felt his antennae twitch madly, they felt almost itchy. He wanted to brush them against something, so he rubbed them against each other, but that only made them itch more. They were so itchy! And that scent was still so strong. It wasn't fair! He wanted to taste that flavor, but it _was_ Purple. He couldn't-

"Where's that sweet smell coming from?" Purple asked suddenly, his body had relaxed again and he carefully turned his head, mindful of the antenna that Red still lightly grasped. His other antenna flicked in the air trying to seek out the scent.

"It's you," Red answered his voice a bit more tense than he planned.

Purple frowned at him, his antenna flicked again and his eyes widened. "No, Red, it's coming from _you_." Purple winced. "My antennae are itchy," he whined then in a desperate move to resolve the itch his free antenna rubbed against Red's hand. "That's better," Purple hummed pleasantly.

Needing to scratch his own itch, Red used his free hand to rub his own antenna, it helped a bit settle the itch but it wasn't enough. Glancing down at Purple, Red got a great idea. He let go of Purple's antenna and moved his hand away. Purple protested and was going to yell at him until he noticed Red coming closer. Red put his arms on either side of Purple for support as he lowered himself so their faces were much closer. The closer he was, the stronger the scent became and the warm feeling in his lower spooch grew. The itching became unbearable, so Red lowered his antennae forward and sought out what he was sure would make them feel better.

The first initial contact of their antennae touching was overwhelming. That sweet scent wrapped around him, filling his senses. The feeling of Purple's soft antennae rubbing against his own sent shockwaves through his body. Red shivered uncontrollably it felt very, very… good. Like he had reached the next level of snacking, experiencing sensations and flavor with his entire body. And Purple… Purple was his favorite flavor.

Their foreheads touched as their antennae intertwined, Purple rubbing against his just as much. The rubbing eased the itching away until it became this intoxicating pleasant feeling. It was good, but not enough. Red wanted to taste it more. He snaked his tongue out and apparently Purple had the same idea as their tongues bumped into each other. At first Red jerked his back from the sudden wet sensation, but Purple's darted forward and wrapped around his own, squeezing and pulling him down until their mouths pressed together.

The duel sensations of their antennae rubbing and the taste and texture of Purple's tongue almost had Red reeling. _By_ _Irk_ , Red had never been more happy that he hadn't kept Purple's secret. If not another _smaller_ Irken might have touched Purple's antennae or tasted Purple's scent and this... this flavor, this sweetness Red would not share with anyone else. He'd kill anyone that tried.

Growling at the thought of another Irken being in his place, Red stretched out to put more of his weight down on Purple, feeling the length of his co-leader's body against him. The itching sensation came back, but this time he felt it lower and stronger. Red began shifting his hips trying to relieve the discomfort. He didn’t want to move his arms as they were keeping him at a comfortable level above Purple while their tongues strove to taste more of each other. He noticed Purple shifting in a similar manner and reasoned that since their antennae rubbing together solved that itch maybe it would work well for their bodies too.

Shifting so his legs were straddled around one of Purple's, Red shifted and began grinding his hips against Purple. His co-leader made a noise in the back of his throat and began moving with Red, the friction of their bodies helping to slightly ease that itching. More and more warmth and a slight tingling began forming between Red's legs, it was growing to a point that Red swore he could _feel_ his spooch moving around and shifting inside him. In the back of his mind he was dully aware that this was probably his reproductive organ becoming active. He just hoped that if it did come out, he'd still be able to continue tasting Purple.

However, he never got the chance to follow that worry. Since his antennae were busy rubbing themselves all over Purple's, his sense of hearing was significantly dulled and narrowed to only picking up the slight sounds they were making. So he didn't hear the automatic doors open to Purple's room, nor the slightly muffled voice. His entire focus was on Purple. That was until the closet door was slammed open and light flooded in.

"My Tallest! Are you alright?!" A breathless Mik asked, then upon seeing them he let out a started squeak.

The addition of a third voice and the added light snapped the two to the awareness of the intruder and they hastily untangled their tongues and antennae. Red jerked his head up and over, Purple mirroring him, as they stared back at the wide-eyed Irken. Red and Purple were completely frozen, their minds not yet fully comprehending what was going on as the scent was still fading.

Mik was the first to recover. He looked extremely worried. "M-My Tallest Red, I understand your impatience to fulfill your duty to your people, b-but that is no excuse to forcefully mate with Tallest Purple."

"Whaaa?" Red said feeling less than intelligent, though his mind was quickly clearing.

"When both of you disappeared from observation and I heard Tallest Purple scream, I came as fast as I could. T-This is not how a mating is supposed to happen," Mik scolded though he was still very nervous.

Red felt more than saw understanding come to Purple. Unfortunately, Red figured it out a moment to late as Purple's entire body tensed up. The next thing Red knew, he was catapulted via Purple's legs towards the open door, where he collided with and almost crushed the medic. Red heard a lot of scrambling from inside the closet. It was the sound of things being scraped against the door. He had no doubt in his mind that Purple was barricading himself inside. If the bright blue of his face was any indication, Purple would not be coming out anytime soon if ever.

Not that Red could blame him. He either wanted to crawl into a dark hole or beat up something. Since the first option was taken from him, Red stood and glared down at the stunned medic. Grabbing the small Irken by the antennae, Red dragged him from the room.

 

* * *

[Red knows what he wants](https://photos.app.goo.gl/peDyVBov1yZkzEBE7)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor boys! XD The equivalent of your parents walking in on a make out session just happened. 
> 
> And Red, one step forward two steps back. Poor guy, all his efforts shattered thanks to Mik. 
> 
> This chapter is also the start of Red's courtship of Purple. Now that he's had a 'taste' he's not going to want to go back. His target is set and locked on.
> 
> Their first reaction here actually sets the tone for their relationship and how I imagine them as a couple. Red is definitely the instigator, he's more flirty and open and will actively pursue the object of his affection. 
> 
> Purple isn't one to start or make the first move. However that does not make him passive or submissive in the relationship. When he does want something or when he's already in the middle of things he's more likely to be the assertive one. As seen above when he pulls Red in for a deep kiss. He's not flirty like Red but when he knows what he wants, he's not one to be timid about it. Quite honestly Purple is a total power bottom.


	8. We're test subjects?!

 

Recovering quickly Mik latched onto Red's hand to ease the painful pressure off his antennae. Red threw the medic on the couch in the common space, the door had been unlocked when Mik entered. He thrust all four of his PAK legs into the couch each one barely missing the scared medic and effectively caging him.

"If you were any other Irken, I would be bludgeoning you to a pulp before throwing you out the airlock," Red hissed and Mik gulped. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Sneaking in there was no easy task and Purple won't be fooled by snacks again. If I don't get a chance to do that again, I'm blaming you."

"D-Do what again? Mate? M-My Tallest Red, forcing-"

"- _We weren't mating_ ," Red cut him off with a harsh whisper, not wanting to say it too loudly. "And there was nothing forced about that."

"But with his PAK disabled and you holding him down..." Mik pointed out.

Red pinched the skin between his eyes with two fingers as a headache was beginning to form. "Purple is the most stubborn, determined and willful Irken I know. With or without his PAK there is no way I could force Purple to do anything, you saw how easily he kicked me out. We made a bet on a game," Red explained. "And I won, I was just claiming my winnings."

Mik frowned. "Your winnings included mating?"

"No! For the last time," Red said more than frustrated with the medic. "We were not _mating_ ." _Yet_ , he added to himself.

"But you were touching antennae and engaging in the pre-mating act of tasting," Mik said trying to reason this out.

Red felt his face turn bright blue. "That wasn't our intention," he mumbled hotly.

"Why _were_ you acting in such a way then?" Mik pressed and when Red turned stubborn himself and refused to look at him, much less answer, Mik sighed. "Please, My Tallest, you two are the first full Irken pair to have your PAKs primed for mating. I admit that activating your PAKs in each others' presence _and_ while watching the informational mating-vid was, perhaps, not the most appropriate order in which to proceed. However, your reactions to this process are highly vital information. When the rest of the chosen Irkens arrive on Irk, this information will be essential in making the mating project a success."

Red slowly turned his head back to stare at Mik with an outraged expression. "We're _test subjects_?!"

"What?" Mik said alarmed. "No! Of course not, My Tallest, but there are no records or examples to provide us with accurate information. My consultant on this matter is not Irken and our understanding of this process might not be completely accurate. Of course, being the Tallest, your behaviors and reactions might also be unique, but you are both Irken and that must also be taken into consideration. This is for the good of the Empire," Mik added.

This placated Red, but only slightly. This would be a good opportunity to ask Mik about the sudden appearance of that strong scent and the odd effect it had on him and Purple. Also antennae touching felt like nothing it showed in the vid and Red also wanted to ask about the weird feeling in his spooch. However, he was _not_ going to be a specimen for Mik to observe and he would die before he let Purple be put through that, mostly because Purple's wrath was intense and he didn't want to be at the end of it.

"Fine," Red said. "I will answer all your questions and discuss with you my experiences, but only on two conditions."

Mik perked up, if his Tallest would cooperate then this would be much easier. He didn't want to use his given authority as it didn't sit right with him, however if Tallest Red's conditions were too extravagant or unrealistic he might have to use that power. "Yes, My Tallest?"

"Firstly," Red held up one finger in the medic's face. "You will be satisfied with only interviewing me. You will _not_ press Purple about this."

"But to have accurate understanding information from both participants--"

"--If you try to interrogate Purple, you will be doing it alone and with no support from me," Red interrupted.

Mik opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it and nodded. He would have to make due with whatever information he could gather from Tallest Red. The thought of confronting Tallest Purple and _ordering_ him _(_ Mik had no doubt that Tallest Purple would refuse to cooperate and he would have no other choice) to allow access to his PAK to shift through his memories… it made Mik shiver in fear. His authority would not last forever and Mik had no doubt that Tallest Purple would not let such an act go without revenge. Mik had been lucky that Tallest Red had been cooperative thus far, he wasn't going to push his luck.

"Good," Red acknowledged after the medic nodded and he held up his second finger. "Secondly, you will remove any and _all_ observation equipment from our chambers; no video, no audio, nothing. Even computer monitoring must be shut off. Access to the computer's assistance will only be connected if we establish it first. We'll call if we need anything or if anything is wrong. Otherwise we will be left completely alone and with complete privacy."

"But it has only been myself in observation. And nothing has been recorded but my own memories in my PAK. Offspring from two Tallest is of utmost importance to the Control Brains and I have been entrusted with the safety and success of this task," Mik protested.

"Look here," Red poked him repeatedly on the forehead. "Nothing will be successful knowing that we're being watched. It will take all my skills as a Tallest and a former Elite soldier to coax—or trick—Purple back into interacting with me again after your interruption and your admittance to watching us. If you _want_ this to be successful you _will_ leave us alone, completely alone. Got it?"

Mik rubbed his bruised forehead. He did see the logic in his matter. Many other species copulated in private, however that didn't stop him from feeling disappointed as a scientific medic. With a resigned sigh, Mik nodded again. He would have to make due with a personal account from Tallest Red. Taking out a screen from his PAK, Mik entered in a code to disable all observations and computer monitoring.

"It is done," Mik said a bit sad.

"Good. And if I find out otherwise, that you have gone back on our deal, I will make your existence so full of suffering and pain that you will be begging me to throw you out the airlock," Red threatened. Mik's eyes went wide with fear and he vigorously nodded his understanding. Red glared at him one more time for good measure before smoothing his expressions and crossing his arms. He could feel a slight blue tint come back to his face and did his best to keep a neutral expression. "I'll answer your question from before now. What I asked for winning in our game wasn't to mate, but to... well..." Red could no longer maintain eye contact and found a spot on the wall to inspect. "Touch Pur's antenna."

Mik took mental note of Red's sudden change in demeanor and the shortened form of Tallest Purple's name.

"I'll admit," Red continued, the blue on his face spreading. "That since seeing the vid I was a little curious. I wasn't entirely convinced that it would be as the vid said, but it didn't hurt him and it was soft and warm to the touch, much different from grooming my own. Purple seemed to be reacting to the touch too, judging from what happened next, I think it was a pleasant sensation for him.

"I was going to stop, going farther hadn't been my goal, I just was curious. But then there was this sweet alluring scent, better than doughnuts, coming from Purple. It made my own antennae itchy and I felt...hungry," Red side-glanced at Mik as he said this, Mik nodded thoughtfully.

"I will assume that you felt no desire to actually _eat_ Tallest Purple," Mik said. "But rather a similarly intense feeling directed towards him, which triggered a mating response?" he asked to gain clarification.

Red thought a moment. "Maybe, I did feel an odd sensation in my spooch like my organs were moving and a similar feeling to the itching in my antennae. However, I wasn't thinking about mating, I just wanted to continue what we were going."

"Which was the interlocking of tongues," Mik said having observed that before his presence startled the two apart. "That is one of the pre-mating steps, which was explained in the vid. The feeling you described about hunger is—as I understand it—called 'lust', which is a desire to mate that is directed towards a particular individual. The scent..." Mik trailed off as he thought. "This might be unique to Irkens and part of the mating process if it triggered a desire to mate. I wonder what results an analyzed sample would yield?" he mumbled and as soon as the words left his mouth Red's hand lashed out to grab at his throat.

"If you even _try_ to get close to Purple I will tear you apart, Control Brain authority or not," Red said with a threatening hiss. "That scent, that taste is _mine._ "

"O-Of course, M-My Tallest," Mik stammered as he struggled to breathe. "I believe this is enough for today. In exactly twenty-five hours I will check-in again. I… I will alert you of my presence first next time."

Loosening his grip, Red let go of the struggling medic. "Fine. Go." Red watched him scamper away and out the door. He also heard the defining _beep_ of the locking mechanisms being put back in place. While they weren't confined to Purple's room anymore Red wasn't sure if that would make a difference. After the way Purple closed the closet door, he doubted his co-leader could be lured out again even by snacks.

Sighing, Red went back to Purple's room to hopefully repair the damage the medic specialist had done. Despite having access to more space Red was positive that intense boredom would find him again. He wasn't too sure about this 'lust' but one thing was for certain, he hadn't been bored.

* * *

 

Mik slipped away from Red and his menacing PAK legs and quickly left the Tallest Chambers. There were a few things he wanted to run by the human-Dib and get his opinion on. Mik had a few hypothesizes about Irken mating rituals and behaviors, one being increased aggression and possessiveness. Mik was a little worried about Tallest Red's behavior. It would not be good if Tallest Red attacked anyone who went near Tallest Purple as it would make co-ruling very difficult.

 

* * *

 

Narrowing his eyes in displeasure, Mik waited again for the human to stop laughing at him. Mik did not understand before and he did not understand now how the human could find such potentially dangerous and delicate situations humorous. However, Zim was known for his rampant laughter so maybe the fact that they paired naturally made sense.

"Those poor bastards," Dib chuckled and Mik gave a scandalized gasp at the insult. Dib rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'm helping but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Those two have been dicks to Zim _and_ they're trying to take over the universe. However, the fact they they're experiencing every teenage nightmare in the timespan of two days does help ease the pain a little," the human grinned.

"Dib-human," Mik whined.

"Alright, fine. Spoil sport," Dib grumbled before sighing and getting back to the matter at hand. "I agree with you on the scent-thing. Zim often comments on my 'stink'," as he said this he wiggled two fingers on each hand up and down. Obviously, the gesture meant something but Mik had no idea what it was and in all honesty he didn't much care to learn the intricacies of the human dialect. "And sometimes when we're really into it I can almost get a whiff of a sweet smell coming from him. So yeah, the fact that they both strongly react to each others' scents is probably a mating thing. My guess would be something like pheromones, a particular chemical scent that some species on Earth give off to attract mates.

"As to the new possessiveness and aggression, I think that is probably normal and a _very_ Irken thing. Irkens are greedy, possessive, selfish, self-centered, egocentric and gluttonous creatures. It wouldn't surprise me if Irkens, in the middle of trying to attract a particular mate, wouldn't be above killing off potential rivals at least until a bond is made. Which," Dib scratched his chin in thought. "Might be something you want to consider for your breeding program thingy. Setting some ground rules and strictly enforcing them might be the only way to avoid massive bloodshed if you put all of your sexually stimulated Irkens in one room and just wait for them to pair off. Hey, if that does happen can you send me a vid of that? I'd be cool to watch an all out Irken vs Irken battle like that."

Mik gasped, completely taken back by the request. "Our aim is to create the next generation not cull our current one! And no! I would not send that to you. That is horrific and barbaric and—would you send me a vid of a full mating session in exchange?" Mik couldn't help but ask. As the human's face turned red, Mik smiled smugly. "I will take your warning into consideration. It might be best to have small groups of Irkens mingle instead of the large group I had intended. I will also make note to separate interested and potential pairings away from the group until a mating occurs."

"Yeah," Dib cleared his throat. "Do that. Also the odd behavior you mentioned before, about them offering up highly coveted snacks to each other, I can understand your confusion. Like I mentioned before, you guys are gluttons and selfish and greedy and--"

"--Yes," Mik cut him off irritated. "I get your point."

"Yeah, so that behavior is just... well... kind of cute," Dib said with a small shrug.

"Explain."

"Irkens, especially tall Irkens, view snacks as super important, life sustaining important, right?" Dib said and Mik nodded. "So the fact that Red--"

"--Tallest Red," Mik corrected.

Dib rolled his eyes, " _Tallest_ Red offered a coveted snack to _Tallest_ Purple and the gesture was returned… it's just a really cute thing that two people do when they want to make someone they like happy. I'd take it as a really good sign. They already have a unique bond and now that their sex-drive has literally been activated it wouldn't surprise me if they came to experience what we humans commonly refer to as 'affection' or 'love' for each other. Making offerings and doing similar gestures for someone you're interested in is a common practice. Offering snacks to potential partners is a good way to entice the other to favor you more. I do it with Zim all the time. It's way easier to persuade him when he's happily munching on his favorite snacks."

"I KNEW IT!" a sudden yell came from behind Dib and off screen. Dib whipped his head around to the voice. "I knew there was a reason behind all the snacks! _OH_! YOU DECEIVING, CUNNING WORM-MONKEY! You just wanted to trick Zim!"

"No! Zim, that's not--"

"-- _LIES_!" Zim's voice screeched making Mik flinch.

Dib hastily turned back to the screen as Zim continued to rant about filthy human lies. "We good?"

"Ye--" the connection was severed before Mik could finish. "--s," he said to the blank screen. Mik frowned. While he knew that Zim was… unique (to put it lightly) he just hoped that mated Irkens acted a little less… Zim-like. Sighing he dialed in the code to contact his team waiting for the arrivals on Irk. They were going to have to make some more adjustments to their program.

Mik wondered if he did the right thing in severing his observations of the Tallest. While the data was invaluable his Tallest's mental well-being was more so, especially Tallest Purple as he would be the smeet carrier. Mik would just have to trust that Tallest Red knew his co-leader well enough to make the correct decisions. He also hoped that the human's musings on 'affection' proved to be right. A deeply-bonded pair of Tallest would certainly be of benefit to the Empire.

* * *

[Red admits he's a little curious](https://photos.app.goo.gl/QGmSh8HfUUkk76zy9)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goodness, the embarrassment the Tallest must be feeling knowing that Mik had been watching them. However, there are no sensors in Purple's closet so Mik hadn't actually seen anything too bad. He just saw Red sneak into Purple's closet and then when Purple entered again he heard Purple's shout and just assumed the worst. Dib's talks about equality and being respectful to each other really stuck with Mik to the point that he believes mating cannot happen without pleasure. (he's not entirely wrong in the case of Irken biology-I'll explain later) so thinking that Red was trying to force Purple into mating was very concerning to him. 
> 
> However, Red had a good point. Purple is a Tallest, no Irken not even Red could physically force Purple to do anything he didn't want to. Purple is by no means weak. And Red wouldn't want to force Purple, he thinks very highly of Purple. Besides it is much more rewarding for Red to break through Purple's stubbornness than to win against him in a physical fight. Red has a pretty big challenge ahead of him if he wants to get his stubborn co-Tallest to be willing to touch antennae again. 
> 
> Also poor Dibby. He didn't mean for Zim to overhear his ~very~ effective seduction techniques: The way to win an Irken's affection is through his love of snacks. He'll have a big task ahead of himself trying to convince Zim that he wasn't trying to manipulate him with malicious intent. Zim will eventually hear him out, maybe even understand what Dib means, but Dib will have to make it up to the invader, maybe even accept a little punishment. ;)


	9. Have some

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I have an image for this chapter I'll put it at the end and delete this.

Purple sat huddled in the farthest corner of his closet panting with the effort it took to strip his closet of anything big enough to block the door. Moving things and destroying stuff without the aid of his PAK had drained more energy than he expected. Leaning forward to snatch up the nearest snack Purple sat back and ate with wide unblinking eyes as he brooded.

Everything was horrible! Well... not completely everything, but most things. Red set aside his favorite snack for him and that… that caused all kinds of oddly good sensations. Returning the gesture made him feel good too. But then Red had to go pull a stunt like that all because he was bored! And his request...

Why couldn't Red have asked for snacks like any normal Irken? No, not Red. Red had to ask to  _ touch _ . Stupid Red touched his very sensitive antennae in such a way that was gentle and soft and gave him no reason to pull away. When Red ran his cool smooth fingers along his stalk it was the best and worst feeling Purple had ever experienced. Then the stupid Irken kept touching and touching not even paying attention, not even  _ aware _ how much effort it was taking to keep still and not make any strange sounds because Purple felt like he wanted to  _ Irken  _ purr. Him! A Tallest, purring like a smeet at their first taste of sugar!

When Red  _ did _ pay attention he did that  _ thing _ with his fingers and Purple was beyond purring, he  _ Irken _ moaned. He moaned like his antennae was his mouth and Red's finger was his favorite snack that he hadn't tasted in decades. It made him itchy and then that sweet smell filled his whole closet and when he couldn't take it anymore Red  _ touched _ their antennae together. The sensation... it was unlike anything. The smell and the touch... he needed more, he needed to taste Red and...  _ Irk,  _ Red was five times sweeter than Beevonish honey and ten times more addictive (which meant a lot as many Beevonish honey related deaths were due to an over stuffing of the stomach).

Now that whole experience (that  _ maybe _ he might  _ maybe _ be interested in trying again  _ maybe _ ) was tainted because the whole Irken race had been watching him cower like a smeet in his closet and when Red surprised him they all  _ heard _ him. Now he would be seen as weak, useless and... and... inferior. They would know he was an inferior Tallest. The drones would all mock him now. They wouldn't respect him. No one would listen and everything would be ruined! His life as a Tallest was over!

His eyes stung from not blinking and Purple rubbed them. The slight pain grounded him and pulled him from his embarrassed panic attack. Taking a deep breath Purple tried to calm himself down. There was no monitoring system in his closet, that he was sure of, he couldn't order the computer from here even if he wanted to. So no one had seen them wrestle or touch antennae or anything else, which made him feel a little better. He could fix this.

All he had to do was show them that he wasn't weak. An idea forming, Purple quickly went to work removing his barricade. Slowly opening the door he peeked out and was relieved to see that Red wasn't back yet. Closing the door behind him Purple slunk over to the door of his room and pressed himself against the wall. When Red came back in he'd attack, they'd fight, he'd win and then all of Irk would see that he was a fierce and strong Tallest not to be messed with.

It wasn't too long before the door slid open and Red walked in. Purple crouched by the door and waited until Red passed him before he pounced. Wrapping his arms around Red's thin middle he threw his weight at Red. His co-leader grabbed Purple's arms reflexively and stumbled forward with a surprised yelp. Unable to stop the momentum the two tumbled onto the bed.

"Purple! What the  _ Irk _ are you doing?" Red shouted fighting against Purple's hold.

"I'm not weak," Purple hissed. "I'll show you and the entire Irken race that I'm not the lesser Irken."

"What are you talking about?" Red looked truly confused and slightly annoyed if his antennae angle was any clue.

"The monitoring system," Purple hissed. "They saw everything and I won't let them think I'm weak."

"You—stupid!" Red said not fighting against Purple as he had him pinned beneath him. "That was Mik watching and he only heard from outside the closet. I've made him disable all the monitoring systems in our chambers and he'll leave us alone for awhile. Right now it's just us, no Mik, no Control Brains and definitely no other Irkens."

"It was just Mik?" Purple asked skeptically. "And the systems are down now?"

"Yes and yes."

Purple carefully studied Red for any lies. Red tended to avoid eye contact if he was lying and his antennae went twitchy, but he held Purple's gaze evenly and his antennae lay low and still. Purple let out a long sigh, releasing his pent up anger and fear. Suddenly exhausted, he rolled off Red to flop down next to him on the bed. "For a moment back there I thought my spooch was going to stop working."

"Yeah," Red said. "Me too. I'm glad you didn't stay locked in there," he gestured to the closet. "I would have had a hard time getting back in."

Purple bolted upright, suddenly remembering why he ran to the closet in the first place. He also vividly recalled how Red touched his antennae and how it led to them acting just like the Irkens in the vid. It hadn't been unpleasant, but now that he wasn't enveloped by the overwhelming sensations, panicked embarrassment flooded through him. Wanting to flee, as Red didn't seem as susceptible to the embarrassed feelings, Purple made a move forward, but Red's hand wrapped tightly and firmly around his wrist making him freeze. It wasn't that Purple couldn't pull away or fight Red off, it was that the physical contact made his brain go into a stunned and frozen panic.

"Please, Pur," Red said soothingly, the plead in his voice and the way Red said his name gave Purple chills. "It wasn't so horrible, right? We can at least do that again, maybe later? For now won't you just sit with me and eat snacks like normal?"

Red's hand on his wrist felt heavy, making it impossible for Purple to move it. He chanced a look up at his co-leader, Red's eyes were wide and pleading making Purple's spooch do flips. He liked that look on Red's face it made Purple feel stronger and more dominant, but it also made him want to give into Red's request. He was hesitant to drop his guard though. Since watching the vid and seeing that he would have to use parts he didn't want to acknowledge exist, Purple was seriously regretting his agreement. He was secretly hoping that if he stayed away and didn't comply the Control Brains would revoke their order, but something told him Red wouldn't give up so easily.

Red was always the one to make decisions quickly and think in the moment. As much as Purple was pissed about Red getting over his embarrassment, he knew that Red becoming bored wasn't good either. His co-leader tended to make rash decisions when he was bored. Sometimes they turned out fine, funny even, other times it led to a lot of work and clean up. Maybe if he kept Red company and entertained, then Red wouldn't become bored or  _ curious. _

"Fine," Purple agreed and Red's antennae perked up, a sign he was happy. "But I'll be the only one eating snacks, you had yours  _ and _ some of mine."

"What?" Red's antennae perked up completely and he sat up on the bed. "Why won't you--" the rest of his words were cut off as a tube opened up over them and dropped a load of snacks. They had to hastily cover their heads to protect their antennae. Red removed his hands when the snacks stopped falling and looked around with a smile. "Well, that solves that problem." He picked up the bag that had fallen into his lap, which happened to be one of Purple's favorites.

Normally Purple would have drove for the bag before Red could grab it, but he was still weary of getting too close to his co-leader. Red popped open the bag, tossed a few of the chips into his mouth. Crunching loudly he held out the bag towards Purple. " 'ave some," he said around his mouthful.

Purple's antennae rose up in surprise before quickly flattening. Hesitantly he reached in and grabbed a couple, quickly eating them while keeping an eye on Red. Red pulled the bag back once Purple had some, ate some more himself and as he chewed offered the bag once more. While Purple munched on more chips Red opened a few different bags and set them between them.

"If we both have some from each bag, it will be fair, right?" Red said looking proud of his logic.

Purple nodded slowly. It never occurred to him to share the snacks like this. Even if it had Purple wasn't sure he would actually have done it, but now the idea was more appealing. He couldn't argue Red's logic, it meant they would get to taste each flavor. Reaching into one of the open bags, Purple took a handful quickly chomped then randomly reached into a different bag for his next mouthful. Immediately, his face scrunched up in displeasure. "Bleh," Purple said sticking out his tongue and gaining Red's full attention. "Don't eat those right after each other, the flavors don't mix at all," Purple warned.

"Really?" Red asked curious and did exactly that. His reaction was the same. "You're right, they're fine separate but together..." he trailed off and scoped out the bags around them. Finding the one he was looking for Red opened it. He grabbed some from one bag and a handful of another then stuffed them both into his mouth. He chewed and his antennae perked up. "Try those together," he encouraged.

Purple did and his eyes brightened at the new and good flavor. Grinning he began opening the other bags. "What else would go well together?" Purple wondered aloud and Red quickly joined in. In no time they had all the bags of snacks open and were trying all the different flavors together in different combinations. They began playing a game to see who could come up with the best combination and who could come up with the worst and trick the other into trying it. Red was good with coming up with good flavors while Purple was better at tricking Red into trying bad ones. It was great fun seeing Red's face twist up with the bad flavor combos.

A few times they even came up with the same flavor idea and bumped their hands together as they both reached into the bag. At first Purple would jerk his hand away, but when Red didn't react to them touching, he also began to calm down. Now if they reached for the same snack Purple just let their hands bump together. They were probably running out of ideas because their hands seemed to be bumping into each other more often than not.

"I can't trick you if you try the same flavors at the same time," Purple complained after their hands collided again.

"That's the idea," Red said cheekily around his mouthful of snacks.

Purple rolled his eyes and they landed on the open door to the cleansing room. From his angle on the bed he could see that the gel bath was still full and steaming. It was very tempting, but he wasn't so sure about it.

"Want to go in together?" Red asked catching where Purple's attention was. Startled Purple turned back to look at him. "Let's go," he urged gathering up the open snack bags that were still full. Without waiting for him to follow Red went into the cleansing room and dropped the pile of snacks next to the cleansing pool which was flush with the floor. It was large and spacious and could fit five or six Tallest easily. Red stepped down into the hot gel.

He hissed as the gel was hot, but his body quickly adjusted and it felt very soothing. Sliding down he rested his head against the edge of the tub. Tilting his head back he looked up at Purple standing quizzically over him. "You're welcome to join me."

Purple frowned down at him. "Of course I am this is  _ my _ cleansing room," he pointed out. He then bent to removed his boots, at Red's curious expression Purple said, "I don't like the squishy feeling when the gel gets in." He stepped in and sat across from Red which was as far as he could be from his co-leader.

Red felt a stab of disappointment and decided to correct that. Using his PAK legs to grab all the snacks he scooted over to sit next to Purple. His co-leader gave him a questioning look.

"The tub is huge why sit so close?" Purple asked gesturing to the free space in the tub.

"Don't you want the snacks too?" Red asked setting down the bags behind both of them. "You can't reach them, your PAK is locked."

"Oh, thanks," Purple said feeling a little guilty for being suspicious of Red. He reached behind him and felt around for a snack bag then settled further down into the gel until it covered his shoulders. The warmth was very soothing and the gel felt good between his toes. Closing his eyes in contentment he munched on his snacks and let his antennae fall back in a relaxed posture.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins Red's slow, slow seduction of Purple. Now that he's had a literal taste of his co-leader, he's thirsty for more. ;) You know in every teen movie when two kids go on a date to the theater and share popcorn and bump hands? Yeah, Red figured out that trick real quick. 'Oh, oops we seem to be going for the same flavors, such a coincidence! I'm totally not secretly watching and waiting for the opportunity to touch you more even if it is as innocent as our hands bumping together.' Red is such a sly dog ;)
> 
> Purple is of course completely oblivious to all this. He's not very socially savvy. Red however, is much better at manipulating people, it was one of the reasons why he was such a great soldier and leader on the battlefields. He's very charismatic.


	10. Nothing To Be Scared Of

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little behind on drawing, I'm working on an X-mas project. but here is the next edited chapter.

Unknown to Purple Red continued to study him. His desperate plan had worked. He never begged for anything in his life, but he begged Purple to not hide again. Besides the new thoughts that kept popping into his head, he really did want to just be next to his long-time companion. They rarely spent time apart and he never realized how Purple's presence kept him from being bored. Previously whenever he became bored it had always been when he was alone and Purple was busy doing something else.

When Purple decided to stay next to him, Red hatched a brilliant plan. He wanted to touch antennae again, he wanted to taste Purple's tongue, but the same plan wouldn't work. Purple wouldn't be tricked into fighting again and knowing what Red asked for last time Purple would be much more defensive and scrappy. Red knew that from experience. The first time Red won a match and demanded snacks from Purple, Red at first thought that it would be a great way to get extra rations, all he had to do was win against Purple again. He did it once he thought it would be easy to beat him again. He had been sorely mistaken. The next fight Purple was twice as vicious and cunning. Red lost in half the time and Purple demanded twice as much from Red. That had deterred him from ever starting a fight purposefully.

At first Red entertained the fantasy that if he fought and lost then Purple would want to touch antennae for twice as long or maybe Purple would touch his antennae. That image had his antennae twitching, but he highly doubted that would happen. Purple would probably demand that Red kept as far from him as possible. To make sure that didn't happen, he had to put them back on good terms.

Red was pleased to find that his embarrassment had pretty much dissipated. It wasn't that he was eager to try mating, he just wanted to touch his co-leader more, he wanted to have that scent surround him again. To make that happen he would have to make Purple's embarrassment go away too, but that only seemed to happen when Purple was distracted by snacks or when he was already in the middle of the sensations. Thus, Red came up with his brilliant plan. He wouldn't be able to just start touching antennae, not unless he wanted Purple to lock himself away. He was would have to be sly and slow. Purple was still defensive and on guard whenever Red came close. Red was going to have to slowly infiltrate those defenses.

So he started very small, occasionally bumping hands with Purple. He reacted just how Red expected him to. At first he pulled away, but when Red acted like nothing was wrong Purple relaxed and let the slight touches happen. It wasn't like they had never physically come in contact before, but with their PAKs activated they had become very sensitive to each others' presence.

Red was going to reverse that. He was going to slowly get Purple used to touching until he didn't react at all to Red's presence. That's when Red would strike and then Purple would be right in the middle of the sensations and he wouldn't have time to be embarrassed. He knew his co-leader thought he was rash and impulsive, and he was, but when it came to his missions Red could be very patient and calculating. And his mission: Operation Taste Purple was going to be a long mission and he was going to enjoy every calculated action.

Grinning wickedly at his unsuspecting co-leader, Red wiggled down into the gel next to Purple making sure to slightly bump shoulders as he did so. Purple tensed up and opened his eyes, but when Red closed his and settled down Purple relaxed again.

They sat in silence, relaxing in the soothing gel and eating snacks. Red made sure that when he reached around to grab his next snack, he leaned closer to Purple sometimes slightly leaning on him until he grabbed a bag. Purple leaned away the first few times, but eventually stopped bothering and let Red lean against him.

Red was feeling the relaxing effects of the gel too and he lazily kept his eyes open and stared at his co-leader's legs. Sitting side-by-side Purple couldn't see where his focus was, so Red let his eyes wander over Purple's figure, stopping more than once where his legs joined his hips. The image of the recessive-gendered Irken in the vid kept playing through his mind and Red was very curious as to what it would actually look like and not just a drawing.

Movement caught his attention and Red let his eyes travel down to Purple's toes as they occasionally wiggled and stretched in the gel. He hadn't given them much thought before, but it occurred to him that he hadn't seen them before. Most Irken pants came down over their feet as well, but Purple's pants ended just above his ankles. He vaguely remembered seeing Purple cut the bottom of his pants off while they were at the Academy. He asked why once, but Purple just shrugged and said he liked it better this way.

"If you didn't cut the bottoms of your pants off, then the gel wouldn't squish in your boots," Red said still wearing his own boots and not having any problem when the gel seeped in to cleanse his feet and the insides of his boots.

Purple picked up his head and looked down at his feet. He wiggled his toes around. "Maybe, but I don't like the feeling of my toes being trapped. There's plenty of room to move them in my boots when they aren't wrapped in fabric. It feels nice to be able to wiggle them in the gel too."

"Yeah?" Red asked and grew curious. With his toes he pushed off his boots while his PAK opened and a small laser attachment came out. Taking his boots and dumping out the gel Red set them aside. Lifting one foot at a time out of the gel he used the laser to carefully cut the feet part of his pants off. He tossed the extra fabric out of the tub then set his feet back into the gel and next to Purple's. Wiggling his toes experimentally, Red's eyes widened. Purple was right, it did feel nice. The gel was much more comfortable against his bare skin and the slick and warm gel sliding between his toes made his feet tingle in a pleasant manner.

"See?" Purple said triumphantly, seeing Red's pleasantly surprised expression. "And you used to think it was weird," he said with a smirk and settled back down in the warm gel.

"It still is weird," Red said his attention on his own wiggling toes. "Hey, did you know," Red began as his PAK supplied him with a random bit of information he picked up somewhere along the line. "That some races bathe without any clothes?"

"What? Why? How do they wash their uniforms then?" Purple asked sitting up. Their gel cleaned their bodies and also anything they wore, it just didn't do well with any technology (besides their PAKs) hence why they had to remove their hoverbelts.

"I think they wash them separately," Red said to which Purple snorted to show what he thought of such inferior ways of cleaning. "But," Red said thoughtfully. "They might be onto something." Without thinking Red began pulling his shirt off and threw it out of the tub so he was only wearing his standard issue pants. He then sunk back down into the gel up to his neck. "Oooooh," he said blissfully. The warm gel against his bare skin felt fantastic. "Purple you have to try this," Red said looking up at his co-leader.

Purple's face was tinted blue and when he noticed that Red was looking up at him, the color deepened and he quickly looked away. "No, I'll pass," he mumbled and very subtly scooted just a little further away from Red.

Red was confused at Purple's sudden withdrawal until he realized that, like himself, Purple hadn't seen much of Red's actual skin. A blue dusted across his own face as that embarrassed feeling crept back and he suddenly felt a bit too exposed. However, acknowledging his embarrassment would counter-act with his mission and the idea of coaxing Purple into exposing more of his unseen skin appealed greatly to Red.

"You're missing out," Red stretched out under the gel's surface, out of corner of his eyes he watched Purple watch him. "It's just gel, it won't hurt. There's nothing to be scared of," Red said in a slightly teasing tone.

Purple jut out his jaw, indignant, "I'm not scared."

"Well, why else would you not want to do something that feels this nice?" Red asked keeping his tone curious and slightly confused. Either Purple would be stubborn and prove he wasn't scared by removing his shirt too or he would admit that he was thinking about the vid after seeing Red's skin. Either way was fine with Red, he liked seeing Purple's face flush with blue. He knew Purple didn't hate it when they rubbed antennae and tasted each other. The blush would let him know that Purple was thinking about him and it made his spooch do flips.

"Because I'm clean and getting out," Purple said standing and scrambling out of the tub.

Red swore under his breath, he didn't expect Purple to avoid him so completely. He had moved too quickly, maybe he wasn't as patient as he thought. With a sigh he watched Purple put his boots back on and grab some snacks. A sudden and dreadful thought occurred to Red. "Where are you going?" he asked trying not to sound anxious. The last thing he wanted was for Purple to lock himself back in his closet.

"Back to my room where else would I go?" Purple said looking over his shoulder.

Red let out the breath he had been holding. "I'll get out too," he said pushing himself through the gel to the edge. "We promised to share the snacks remember?" Red said.

"Right," Purple said sounding distant, watching Red lift himself out of the tub. The gel easily slid off his skin and back into the tub, leaving him completely dry. When Red looked back up at him, Purple quickly looked away. "You bring the other half then," he said quickly leaving the cleansing room.

Red had just put his boots back on when Purple popped his head back into the room excitedly. "Hey, Red, the door is unlocked again," he said then slipped back out.

"Oh, good," Red said flatly, knowing Purple wouldn't hear him. It just meant there would be more places for Purple to avoid him. Red trudged out of Purple's room and into their common space. He found his co-Tallest happily walking around, enjoying the freedom. He stepped in front of Red's door and frowned when it didn't open.

"Red, did you lock _your—Eep!"_ Purple squeaked when he turned to face Red. His face flushed blue. "Why didn't you put your shirt back on?"

Red looked down at himself, seemingly just noticing. "Too lazy," he lied with a shrug. "The main door is still locked and no one is getting in so why bother?" Since he couldn't get Purple to remove his own shirt, he would just work on Purple getting used to him without one. Maybe he would work on brushing more of his bare skin against Purple. Red suddenly perked up, that's exactly what he would do. Now that his shirt was off, it would be easier to have Purple touch more of him by 'accident'.

He casually walked over and stood next to Purple a little closer than he would have normally as he inspected his door. It didn't open for him so Red pressed his hand against the locking pad, which fortunately was on the other side of Purple, so he was able to reach across his co-leader getting closer to him. Purple backed up a little and Red pretended not to notice. His door did not open.

In the background they heard the snack tube drop more snacks onto Purple's bed. "Guess, I'll be going into your room for snacks then," Red said. "Let's go see what dropped. Mik will be coming back later to check on us, lets make some requests for more flavors to try. And donuts," Red added.

"Yeah," Purple agreed watching Red walk back into his room. "More flavor is good," he said but he didn't think Red heard as the door shut behind him. When Red was out of sight, Purple leaned against Red's door. He'd never seen so much skin in his entire life. It was weird and little animated Irkens kept appearing in his head. Inevitably his memories would then drift to their antennae touching and his body would freeze up.

Every time Red came close Purple wanted to move away, but he didn't want to seem weak or fearful. Purple felt that he was losing some unspoken contest by moving away, but sometimes his embarrassed feeling was so strong that tensing up was necessary in order not to flee. The fact that Red didn't seem to be bothered by anything, not Purple's closeness nor the idea that they needed to make a smeet, was down right frustrating. It made Purple feel weaker, and he wasn't weak. He'd show Red that he was strong, that he could spend time with his co-leader normally too. Stealing his resolve, Purple followed after Red to check out this batch of snacks.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red's grand plan is to be as sexy as possible, though it ends up being the most obvious and cheesy way. "Oooo, I'm just going to take off my shirt. nbd, I totally don't notice you noticing me. Oh excuse me, I'm just going to reach across you, don't mind me and my gorgeous muscles." if they were in a movie theater, Red would totally do the yawn and reach move to put his arm around Purple. He likes these new feelings he has about Purple and he wants Purple to like them too. Red hopes that by making it easier, Purple won't be so freaked out. He wants Purple to focus on the good feelings of their skin touching and not the embarrassment of it.
> 
> It's not that Purple isn't interested in Red, it's just that his emotions are a little too overwhelming at the moment. Red on the other hand, has recovered quickly from those feelings and accepted them completely. In my mind Red is someone who rolls with the punches and has a lazy attitude towards things, where Purple gets caught up in the details. Red knows this so he's doing his best to desensitized his co-leader to touch. He's hoping that by making it not such a jarring experience, that Purple will be more willing to touch more.


	11. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm real behind with drawing. I'm working on a ZADR x-mas story I hope to have finished by next month. but I wanted to get the next few chapters of this out. I'll be editing the next few soon and have those posted this week.

To say Mik was surprised would be an understatement. When he walked into the Tallest's Chambers and saw his Tallest sitting on the couch eating a bunch of snacks together it wasn't that surprising, but the fact that Tallest Red was bare from the waist up had Mik frozen in the doorway. He wasn't embarrassed just startled and a little hopeful. At the sound of the door opening the two looked up.

"It is good to see you outside of your closet, Tallest Purple," Mik said meaning to be encouraging but the way Tallest Purple's antennae raised combined with the glare Tallest Red gave him had Mik thinking that he did something wrong. Though he had no idea what it could be. "Have you--"

"--We have a list of things we need," Tallest Red interrupted him, quickly standing and handing a reader to Mik.

Mik perked up and eagerly took the reader from his Tallest. Maybe they were interested in the PAK extensions the vid mentioned or maybe they needed other items for their mating. "Yes, I will assist you in whatever way I can. I'm sure I can quickly get you these… snacks?" Mik frowned as he read the list, noting that they had only listed various snacks. Confused he looked back up at Tallest Red and gulped.

Tallest Red was glaring at him so intently that Mik was afraid he was going be to thrown out the airlock for sure. When Tallest Red spoke there wasn't a hint of malice in his voice as he gently took back the reader and began typing. "I'll let you know which ones are the most important," he said then handed back the reader to Mik. He tapped on the screen and his glare intensified.

Fearfully Mik looked down to see that Tallest Red wrote a message at the top of the list. _Do not say a_ _word_ _about mating. Get the snacks then leave us alone. I will contact you when we've completed the mission._ _Do not_ _ruin my progress._ Mik read the message then looked up, Tallest Red was still glaring at him. Mik nodded his understanding and peeked between Tallest Red's legs to see Tallest Purple on the couch. He did seem much calmer and relaxed.

"I will get these right away. Will you contact me if you require anything more?" Mik said, knowing Red would understand what he was asking as he pointed to the message.

"Yeah, I will," he said and his glare vanished as he turned to face Tallest Purple. "Anything else you can think of?" he asked.

Tallest Purple tapped his chin, "Oh, more of those slushie things. And Irken burritos. Did you put sandwiches down?"

"I did, the gooey filled ones," Tallest Red said took back the reader again to add the items to the list. "Well, get on with it," Tallest Red made a shooing gesture after handing back the reader.

"Wait," Tallest Purple jumped up and put a hand on his co-leader's shoulder, stilling his Tallest Red's shooing movements. Mik noticed how Tallest Red's face flushed slightly before he could control his features. "How's the Armada? Is there anything you need from us? We can still do some work, you know. I don't want to get back to our duties to find readers and readers filled with work we need to do. _Irk,_ just thinking about gives me a headache."

Truthfully there was a lot of work piling up that could only be completed by the Tallest. Mik had authority but no knowledge of how to run the Armada or the inner workings of the Massive’s crew. He glanced at Tallest Red who was deep in thought and thus gave Mik no clue on how to answer. "There are some things that require attention, nothing urgent though," Mik said carefully glancing between the two.

Tallest Purple sighed. "I figured, send readers with the next batch of snacks and we can sort through and deal with what we can from here. Letting us take a break doesn't make all the work go away. The Control Brains might have us stuck here, but they can't stop us from being the Tallest. Red and I can set aside some time every few hours to get _some_ work done. Right, Red?" Tallest Purple said turning his head. Since he currently had his hand on Tallest Red's shoulder, when he turned his face was only inches away from his co-leader's. "If we work though it like we do with the snacks it won't be too bad, we'll share and make it even. Just thinking about all our work piling up for when we get back..." he grimaced. "It almost makes me want a self-destruct button."

Mik gasped and Tallest Red's eyes widened then narrowed dangerously. Tallest Purple frowned at their reactions before understanding came to him and he pulled away, crossing his arms across his chest and scowling at them. "You know what I mean," he said defensively.

"Go," Tallest Red to Mik, "Just get the snacks and," he glanced at his co-leader, "Bring readers too." Then he turned and walked into Tallest Purple's room.

Tallest Purple mumbled grumpily staring after Tallest Red. "I wasn't serious, I was just joking," he said to Mik.

Mik took a deep breath and let it out. "From what I saw in Tallest Red's memories, there was nothing amusing about you trying to destroy yourself the first time."

Tallest Purple glared at Mik for a moment before sighing. "Fine," he said deflated. "I'll go apologize, or something," he mumbled.

"I believe that would be a wise decision, my Tallest," Mik said. "I will go get the snacks and have them delivered here," Mik said then wiggled his antennae in salute before leaving.

 

* * *

 

Purple stared unhappily at his door. He wasn't close enough for it to open, but if he stepped forward it would. He was trying to think of what to say to Red and how to get his co-leader to stop being mad at him. He understood that what he said was a little… bad. But he didn't mean it that way, he had no intention of dying anytime soon. In fact, he should have persuaded Mik to release the lock on his PAK. He knew Red was using his PAK less so he wouldn't make him feel bad. Otherwise, Red wouldn't be getting so close all the time as he reached around for snacks or whatever it was that he wanted.

Purple didn't apologize often, no Irken did… well, no taller Irken did. But this wasn't just any Irken he was apologizing to this was Red, which made it both easier and harder. Purple sighed, standing here wasn't going to solve anything and besides the rest of the snacks were in his room. He stepped forward and the door opened. He expected to see Red sitting on his bed eating all the good snacks out of revenge (which is what Purple would have done) but the bed was empty. In fact, the whole room was empty.

There were only two places left to look. His closet was still wide open and after a hesitant peek inside Purple knew where Red was. He stood in front of the cleansing chamber door, much like he had done earlier. Taking a calming breath Purple stepped forward and the door opened automatically.

"Look, Red, I'm—boots?" Purple cut himself off as he tripped over them in the doorway. Looking beyond them his eyes widened as he saw Red had discarded his pants on the floor as well. Red sat with his back to Purple in the cleaning gel. He was hunched down with his knees curled up to his chest, his antennae flat against his head in anger.

"Boots?" Red repeated in a harsh dry tone, keeping his head fixed forward and refusing to look back at Purple. "That's a funny thing to be."

Purple clicked his tongue in irritation and kicked the boots out of the way. "I'm sorry, okay?" he said feeling uncomfortable. Red obviously didn't want him there and Purple felt awkward not being able to see Red's face, but he wasn't going to upset Red more by getting closer. Red was obviously trying to make himself feel better by having the gel soothe him, Purple shouldn't be in his personal space right now so he turned to leave. "I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean what I said."

Before he could leave the room Red said, "Prove it."

Purple stopped and turned over his shoulder to look at Red. He didn't want Red to be angry at him anymore. "How?" he asked.

Red finally tilted his head back to look at him, his eyes hard and serious, "Get in."

Purple blinked a few times, wanting to make sure he heard correctly. "Into the gel? Now?" he asked still not believing that was what Red said. Red nodded. Not understanding why Red would want him around if he was still mad, but wanting to make up for upsetting his co-leader, Purple walked around to the edge of the tub on the opposite side from Red. He kept his eyes firmly on the gel in front of him and did his best to not look at Red. His co-leader had his arms wrapped around his knees, but it was clear from the green in the corner of his vision that Red really wasn't wearing _anything_. Purple felt a blue tint rise to his cheeks.

He removed his boots like usual and moved to step into the gel when Red stopped him.

"No," Red said firmly, making Purple's eyes snap up unconsciously in irritation. The moment he looked at Red he averted his eyes again.

"Make up your mind," Purple said crossing his arms and straightening back up, keeping his eyes firmly locked to the side. "Do you want me here or not?"

"Get in like me," Red said. It took Purple a moment to understand, but when he did his eyes widened. Before he could protest Red continued. "If you are serious about apologizing and you aren't going to do something _stupid_ ," he spat the word, "Just because you are freaking out to the point that you don't even remember anything about me, then prove it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Purple narrowed his eyes at Red, trying to ignore the fact that there was a lot of green in his vision.

"At the slightest misunderstanding you completely forgot everything about me, about all the time we spent together, and everything about our bond as companions and Tallest," Red said his eyes accusing.

Purple felt a stab of guilt and he was going to argue, but the hurt he saw under Red's glare made him hold back. "I'm sorry," Purple said in earnest, his expression crumbling for a moment before snapping back into a scowl. "But I don't see how getting _naked_ proves anything," Purple said stubbornly.

"Trust," Red said. "Right here, in front of me, expose yourself. Be completely vulnerable with me. It will prove that you trust me. Do you trust me, Pur?" Red asked, some of his anger slipping so Purple could see the worry in the question. "Can I trust you?"

Purple let his arms fall to his sides. "Of course you can trust me, Red," he said meeting his co-leader's eyes briefly. "When I thought that you betrayed me, that you didn't want me around, I'll admit I went a bit… crazy," Purple's antennae twitched as he spoke, unable to contain his nervousness. "It came as such a shock to me that even the craziest thought made sense to me. I panicked and overreacted, but that won't happen again. I promise. You can trust me on that, Red. And I," Purple fidgeted in place. "I do trust you, Red."

"Good," Red nodded with a slight smile. "So get in," he said lowering his knees so Purple could see through the pink gel that Red was indeed wearing nothing. Purple tried really hard not to stare and he knew his face was flushed with the blue color.

"I don't think I can-"

"-Pur," Red cut him off, his eyes hardening again. "Trust me."

Purple huffed and looked everywhere around the room as he tried to think of a way to get out of this, but nothing came to him. If he wanted to set things right between him and Red, he would have to do this. But with those red eyes on him it was extremely difficult. "Can you turn or look away?" Purple asked.

"No," Red said firmly. "I want to watch."

"What? Why?" Purple exasperated. "I didn't get to watch you."

"I didn't throw my PAK down a garbage shoot," Red shot back, making Purple flinch.

"Fine, but after this you can't use that against me anymore."

"Fine," Red agreed.

"Fine," Purple said again, though he himself knew it was just to stall. He decided that speed was the best way to get through this. Grabbing his shirt he pulled it over his head shucking it off, then taking his pants by the waist he pulled them down to his ankles, stepped out of them and then quickly stepped into the gel bath where he curled up his legs in front of his body.

The sound of movement caught his attention and Purple saw Red coming towards him. His antennae shot up in alarm and he almost darted out of the tub, but he wanted to prove his word to Red. So he stayed frozen in place as Red came close. Red leaned towards him and Purple laid his antennae flat against his head, tightly shutting his eyes. While he could feel Red close, he wasn't touched and Purple felt him pull away. Peeking one eye open Purple saw Red push himself out of the tub. For a moment Purple was transfixed by the gel sliding down his co-leader's naked form.

He watched as Red bent to gather his discarded clothes and without a word left the cleansing chamber. Confused Purple reached back for his clothes, intending to follow after Red. Red shouldn't be angry with him, he did as Red asked. When Purple reached back he found his clothes missing.

He heard a sizzling sound coming from his room and Purple climbed out the gel to find out what the _Irk_ was going on. Sticking his head out of the doorway, he found Red still wearing nothing. His PAK leg was out and applying a laser beam to his closet door.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Purple asked not too keen on Red destroying his room, but he said so from behind the safety of the doorway.

"I'm locking the closet," Red said simply. "Or rather, making it so you can't open it. I'm doing this so you can't replace your clothes and before you ask, I just threw all our clothes down the garbage shoot."

"What?! Why?" Purple asked beginning to think Red was the one that had gone crazy.

"No one is going to contact us and we trust each other, right?" Red paused to wait for Purple's confirmation.

"Yes, but--"

"--Then we don't need them," Red cut him off. "If we trust each other completely then it doesn't matter if we're vulnerable to each other." He finished sealing the closet and turned to grin at Purple, standing as if he weren't completely bare.

Purple had never seen so much green skin at once and he openly stared. It was hard to tell under all the armor, but Red's body was the ideal form of Irken perfection; tall, slender, taut skin hiding strong muscles and long limbs. He wondered if Red thought the same about him, but he was too nervous to ask. His eyes drifted between Red's legs to where eventually his reproductive organ would be. Red was just male so he would only have the one part. Purple tore his eyes away as his thoughts drifted towards the vid, he knew his face was burning with embarrassment.

A sound drew their attention and instead of a tube opening to dump out snacks, a section of the floor near Purple's bed descended and reappeared piled with the snacks from their list, as well as a few readers. Red went over and crouched down to inspect the pile.

"It's all here," he reported and sat cross legged on the floor. Grabbing a donut he began munching as he picked up the closest reader. He frowned as he read, "can they do nothing without us?" he grumbled softly and stuffing the rest of the donut in his mouth he began typing on the reader. When Purple remained somewhat hidden in the doorway Red paused in typing. "You are the one that wanted to do work. Don't make me do it myself."

"Yes, but..." Purple watched him eat another donut and Red shrugged before going back to the reader. Did none of this bother Red? Purple scowled feeling jealous of his co-leader. He hated that this embarrassment was keeping him away from Red, his work and the plate of donuts that Red was eating. If he didn't get over there soon Red would eat them all. His love of snacks and hunger eventually won out over the embarrassment and Purple slipped out from the doorway.

Hooking his fingers around a pile of donuts, he grabbed a reader and sat around the corner of his bed on the floor near the pile of snacks, but out of sight from Red. Once he began looking through the reader and sharing in Red's frustration about the tasks that had been labeled 'of most importance' (which weren't), he began to relax a bit more. Because Red was acting like nothing was different, after the initial shock wore off, Purple began to think that way too.

Clothes acted as a thin layer of armor, but with just the two of them they didn't need to be on-guard or in protection. And since they weren't having any meetings, they had no reason to don their Tallest armor. It was actually sort of nice. Behind his back, his bed felt entirely different and much softer. However, sitting on the hard ground was becoming uncomfortable, so seeing an easy solution Purple climbed onto his bed and laid down on his front. He kept his head by the edge of the bed so he could easily reach for more snacks.

"That's a great idea," Red said and climbed onto the bed next to him. Purple tensed immediately, but Red just copied his posture and went back to typing. It didn't take long for Purple to settle down again and after a while it just felt natural that his co-leader was next to him.

They ate snacks and went though a good amount of the work in the readers and by the end of the cycle seeing all the green in the corner of his vision wasn't as distracting. Purple also stopped jerking away every time Red's hand accidentally brushed against his arm or side.

The third time when Red's fingers brushed against his ribs as he reached to find snacks, Purple jerked away at the sudden jolting touch so quickly that he fell off the bed. Rolling over into his front Red leaned over the side and frowned with concern.

"Are you hurt? Is there something triggering in your PAK? You just spasmed for no reason," Red said. "Maybe I should get medical specialist Mik."

"No!" Purple sat up quickly. "I'm fine, I just..." Purple trailed off as he flushed while staring at Red. There was no way he could say that he reacted like that just because Red touched him, especially since Red didn't even seem to notice that he had. It wasn't a bad feeling, but startling. If he admitted that Red was affecting him and making him think of the vid, it felt like Purple would be admitting defeat. If Red wasn't reacting from just bumping into each other then neither should Purple. So he made something up. "I forgot my PAK was locked and just tried to use my PAK legs a little too forcefully."

"Oh," Red said giving him an understanding nod. "Until they unlock it, if you need anything let me know," he said grabbing Purple's hand to pull him off the floor.

"Yeah," Purple said distracted by the weird sensation of Red's bare hand grasping his own. It didn't last long, but there was a tingling sensation left on his skin. Red went back to typing as soon as Purple was back on the bed, so he picked up another snack and tried not to let it distract him.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, Red knows exactly what he is doing. While he was genuinely upset at Purple's comment he quickly saw a way to use it to his advantage. And all those 'accidental' touches were totally on purpose. Red is using every weapon at his disposal to slowly seduce his co-leader. While he told Mik not to inferrer with his mission, his desire for Purple is purely his own. Any thoughts of smeet making are far from his mind, he is just highly interested in exploring the new feelings he has towards Purple. 
> 
> Purple, for his part, is slowly changing how he views Red. Previously he never paid much attention to Red's body, but now every so often his attention is caught by Red and Purple finds his thoughts wandering to the vid. However, unlike Red, Purple is highly aware of their mission and he is still reluctant to commit himself to it and still hopes that the Control Brains will change their mind if nothing happens. 
> 
> Lets see who's stubbornness will win out in the end, hm? ;)


	12. That's the Idea

The next few cycles were the longest ones Red had ever experienced. Each day felt longer than the next and he was feeling exhausted from his self-appointed mission. However, the results he was achieving were next to perfect. When Purple made that slip-up of a comment it had infuriated Red, he didn't have to fake that. But using that anger against Purple had been a stroke of pure genius. When the idea came to him it was so crazy that he felt it had to work and it did! Thanks to his patience and slow deliberate planning, he knew his mission objective was within his grasp.

He could now sit next to Purple and even have their bodies touch without making Purple tense up or subtly try to shift away. It had been a lot of fun brushing against his co-leader and watching him try to act like it didn't bother him. Each time he finally _did_ get used to the slight touch, Red would move on to something else. But it was getting harder and harder to make the touches seem natural or by accident. With every touch, every time his skin came in contact with Purple's he felt his spooch twist and turn inside him. Instinctively, Red knew that if he didn't act soon his body would and if Purple wasn't completely unguarded then his mission would fail. If his mating organ came out, there was no possible way Purple would even let him in the same room without a fight and that's not what Red wanted. He wanted what happened before with Purple just as eagerly tasting him. So he waited and he continued his slow conquering of his co-leader's body.

Sighing, Red shifted on the couch to lounge a bit more comfortably. Purple had gone to get the plate of snacks and readers. He closed his eyes briefly. He really was exhausted, being patient was hard. Sensing his tiredness his PAK shifted him into a short sleep-mode knowing that there was no danger or need to keep alert.

* * *

 

Purple came back with the pile of snacks and found his co-leader in sleep-mode and stretched out on their one couch. Red didn't say he was going to sleep which meant it had happened naturally. Red never did like doing busy-work which was all they had to entertain themselves these past few cycles. Mik stopped checking in after that one time and since then nothing else had happened. It took awhile but Purple was finally convinced that he had overcome the changes Mik made in his PAK.

Red's touch didn't make him want to jump out of his skin anymore. In fact, the small touches were becoming rather pleasant. Without clothes or armor Purple found that his skin could get rather cold, but whenever he sat next to Red his co-leader's presence seemed to warm him. It worked even better if they were touching and it would spread a nice warmth throughout his entire body.

Red must have felt the same way because Purple noticed that he took every chance he could to get closer or to have skin contact. It happened much too frequently for it to be accidental as Purple first thought. Still, knowing that Red must just be seeking warmth like Purple was didn't stop him from having those first few jolting reactions. Before the touch became normal, it was like electric heat was being pumped into his body via whatever part Red was touching. It wasn't a bad feeling, it just made his embarrassment flare up as his spooch twisted in his belly.

Purple wondered how long they would have to be kept locked up in their chambers before the Control Brains realized that them making a smeet wouldn't happen. Red's embarrassed feeling was gone completely and Purple was feeling less and less of it, but nothing else had happened. Red didn't seem interested in touching antennae anymore, which made Purple feel complex things that he pushed aside and chose not to think about. Maybe he was too tall to have a smeet and this was just how things should be. In a few more cycles Purple would contact Mik and just tell him that it wasn't going to work. In the meantime, he was going to enjoy lazing about with his co-leader and running the Massive from the comfort of their couch. Which led him to his current predicament.

Setting down the pile of snacks Purple studied his co-leader. He thought about waking him up, but if Red went into sleep-mode he must have needed it. He also thought about just going back to his personal chamber to relax on his bed, but then he wouldn't have the warmth of Red next to him. Purple assessed the situation and made a decision.

The couch wasn't long enough for him to sit with Red sprawled out like that, but Red was lying closer to the edge of the couch near the empty plate of snacks, leaving enough room for Purple to squeeze in between his co-leader and the back of the couch. Lying that close and side-by-side would also provide a lot of warmth. Carefully, so as not to disturb Red, Purple climbed over him. It would have been a lot easier had he been able to use his PAK legs, but Purple managed.

He settled down and fit quite comfortably next to Red and the warmth coming from him was pleasantly soothing. It didn't take long, however, to realize that the reader and snacks were out of reach from his current position. With a huff, because it meant he would have to move, Purple carefully leaned over Red reaching for the reader.

Beneath him Red mumbled something sleepily, causing Purple to still as he looked down at his co-leader's face. Red opened his eyes half-way, upon seeing Purple he closed them again as his arms wrapped around Purple's middle. Turning he dragged Purple with him and his arms tightened around him. Purple let out a small surprised squeak and he tried to pull away but Red held on tighter and wiggled until Purple's head was completely pinned between Red's chest and the couch. His co-leader let out a small content sigh and settled back down into sleep-mode.

Purple’s spooch was thudding loudly and twisting around inside, but when Red relaxed again Purple was able to calm down. Red must have been cold in his sleep-mode and sensing Purple grabbed onto him for warmth. Purple relaxed his arm and let if drape over Red's middle, his other arm was pinned beneath Red from when he rolled over. Purple was stuck unless he wanted to wake Red up, which he didn't, so he shifted to get as comfortable as he could in his current position and waited for Red to wake up.

Only half an hour passed before Purple felt Red tense up. Thinking that his co-leader was awake he softly asked, "Red? You awake? Can you move, my arm is trapped," he shifted his trapped arm slightly, but Red didn't move. Instead he shifted closer, which surprised Purple as he didn't think there was much room to begin with. Red's breath ghosted along his antennae, making Purple involuntarily shivered as a tingling sensation swept over his skin. He flattened his antennae, but then ended up bumping into Red's hand as it slid up to cradle the back of Purple's head. He bounced his antennae back up as the breath wasn't was jarring as having them touch Red's skin.

"Red," Purple hissed. "You're breathing on my antennae." He wormed his free arm in between them, intending to push Red back.

"So?" Red replied in a low whisper, indicating that he was now fully awake. He blew gently on Purple's antenna and he shivered again. Red's hand moved up and if Purple didn't keep his antennae up straight, they would fall back into Red's palm.

"It's making them itchy," Purple whined pushing against Red, but not having much luck in moving his co-leader, but he wasn't using much strength either.

Red shifted so their legs were entangled and he moved his hand forward to gently hold one of Purple's stalks. Purple shut his eyes as the touch sent jolts down his body until it centered near his groin, making his lower spooch twist inside. Red brought Purple's antenna close to his mouth and it felt as if Red's warm breath was all over his exposed skin.

"That's the idea," Red whispered.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, but Red's patience have finally paid off. He's finally caught Purple. While Red wasn't being as sneaky as he thought he was with his casual touching of Purple, Purple had no idea of Red's intentions.


	13. No Going Back

When Red came out of sleep-mode he couldn't believe his senses. Purple was right next to him, their bodies fully touching. He couldn't remember when that happening, so Purple must have put _himself_ there. All the planning, waiting and carefully moving had finally paid off. Now was the time to put in action the final part of his plan. He pinned Purple against the couch, he wasn't sure how Purple's arm got under him but it was definitely to Red's benefit. Very lightly he blew air onto Purple's antenna as he held it in his hand.

"It's making them itchy," Purple complained to him and Red smirked as he started to pick up on that sweet delicious smell.

"That's the idea," Red spoke over his counterpart's stalk. He flicked his tongue out and could taste the smell in the air. On a whim he ran his long tongue along the base of one stalk. It was warm and almost fuzzy and felt soft against his tongue. Purple froze at the contact for a brief moment, his arms tightening around Red. His entire frame shivered then relaxed completely and Purple let out a low sound that had Red's antennae twitching. Purple's scent, his flavor, was back in full force and this time Red intended to taste it to his complete satisfaction.

"Red, what are you— _Oooh_ , _Irk_ ," he gasped when Red began rubbing one antenna between his fingers while he wrapped his long tongue around the other. Purple became limp as Red continued to rub the base while sliding his tongue up to the bent end.

The taste, the texture, Red wanted more. He sucked in the feathered end of Purple's antenna into his mouth where he rolled it around. Purple moaned and dug his sharp thin claws into Red's back, pulling his torso as close as possible. Red jumped a little when he felt a warm wetness against his neck as Purple tongue slithered across his skin. Red hummed with pleasure, his voice vibrating through the stalk.

The sensation was nearly overwhelming and to ground himself Purple bit down where Red's neck met his shoulder, his sharp teeth just slightly puncturing the skin. Red moaned, releasing Purple's wet antenna from his mouth. The stalk felt heavier covered in saliva and sound was a little more muted, but it was accompanied by a constant tingling sensation that felt _very_ good.

A small amount of blood escaped through Purple's bite mark before Red's skin healed the minor wounds. Purple ran his tongue over the healed skin tasting the sweetness of his co-Tallest's blood. " _Irk,_ " Purple breathed unable to stop himself from licking up and down Red's neck. "This smell, your flavor, it's so good." Red's blood and the taste of his skin was like Beevonish honey. Purple felt addicted already.

Red rolled pulling Purple so he was on top, his head just under Red's chin giving Purple full access to his neck. "Do the other side," Red said a bit raspy, then his tongue wrapped around Purple's other antenna, pulling it into his mouth just like the other one. For a moment Purple couldn't control his body as it twitched and pushed against Red. When Red flattened the end of the stalk to the roof his mouth and rubbed his tongue against it, Purple's jaw twitched and he bit down a little harder than he intended.

Red winced at the pain and let Purple's antenna slide from his mouth. "Not so hard," he hissed at the sting, his PAK quickly activating to heal the wound.

"Well," Purple shifted up so he was eye level with him. "Don't do that tongue thing when your flesh is between my teeth," Purple responded, his wet antennae hung forward almost touching Red's forehead.

"Noted," Red said. Needing to do something about his incredibly itchy antennae he pointed them forward to meet with Purple's. The jolting feeling of when they touched was magnified by the slick wetness from his own saliva coating them. They both moaned at the sensation and Purple's head came forward to crash their mouths together.

Like this, Purple could taste Red fully, the sweet scent coming from him felt like a warm blanket that wrapped around Purple like a second skin. Their long tongues coiled around each other, sliding and slipping. Sometimes Purple would pull Red into his mouth, other times Red would pull him in. They were in constant motion, almost in a frenzy trying to taste the other as much as they could, while their antennae rubbed against each other keeping as much contact as possible.

Red's skin was giving off a warmth that Purple wanted to soak in like a sponge. He pressed his torso and hips harder down, entwining their legs and hooking his ankles around Red's. His arms wrapped around Red, anchoring himself to his partner, while his claws dug a little almost breaking Red's skin. Like this, there was no way for Red to move. He was stuck right where Purple could have unlimited access to that intoxicating flavor.

All his focus and sensory input was concentrated to his mouth and antennae so at first he didn't notice Red's arms move from behind his head. Once their antennae met, Red's hands stopped their ministrations and instead rested on the back of Purple's head. Purple first noticed their movement when he felt a pleasant tingling along his back, pulling his senses out to pay attention to what Red was doing.

The touches were light, Red's thin claws trailing soft lines and circles across his shoulders, sides and back. Carefully and meticulously exploring every inch of his bare back. Purple couldn't help but shiver and hiss in satisfaction when those claws ran along the edge of his PAK. His skin there was (apparently) extra sensitive to the touch, like Red was scratching an itch he didn't know he had.

Purple's skin tingled all over and the sensation spread throughout his body before condensing and centering around the joint between his legs. He could feel his skin twitch as a warmth pooled in him. A pressure began to build, causing the skin to itch and he couldn't focus on anything but that odd sensation. Red's touches along his back, the rubbing of antennae and the way his tongue was being squeezed only made the twitching worse. He felt this intense need to touch, to scratch, to move, but his arms felt frozen, locked firmly around Red.

Under him, Red shifted and managed to untangle their legs somewhat, he shifted so that one of his legs was in-between Purple's. Red moved his leg and it directly put pressure on that tingling spot. Purple involuntarily jerked forward, nudging back against Red as they both gasped into each other's mouths. They uncoiled their tongues both feeling a little over stimulated.

_"Pur,"_ Red said and Purple wasn't sure if he meant to call his name or if the sound vibrating coming from Red's throat was an actual purr. Purple decided that he didn't mind either way, he just liked the sound, his antennae vibrated listening to it. " _Pur,_ " Red repeated seeming to enjoy saying it as much as Purple enjoyed hearing it.

Red lazily licked the side of Purple's neck. The warm wetness felt good along his skin, so Purple tilted his head allowing Red a better angle. Red’s tongue slid around to the back of his neck and pulled against him slightly. Taking the hint, Purple leaned closer so Red could latch his mouth onto his neck. His partner lightly bit the join of his neck and shoulder just breaking the skin. The slight sting didn't hurt, it made his skin tingle when he felt Red lap up the beads of blood. Even though his PAK was locked, the wound quickly healed and Red continued to nibble on Purple's neck.

Purple acted in turn by wrapping his tongue around Red's antenna and pulling it into his mouth, repeating all the same motions Red had done to him. Below him Red squirmed, hissed, and panted against Purple's neck, each sound vibrating along his skin. Almost simultaneously their hips began pushing against each other, making their legs press into each other and apply sweet friction to those pressure seeking areas.

In the back of Purple's mind he vaguely knew what was happening, that they were fully engaging in the pre-mating rituals, and that the warm twitching was a sign that soon there would be no turning back. However, the part of his mind that was embarrassed, hesitant, apprehensive and just a little paranoid was being drowned out by the large part of his mind that was crying out for more. More pressure, more movement and more of Red.

Red's claws dug in deeper into Purple's back. He made small scratches as he ran his claws down to clasp Purple's hips, pulling Purple into him harder and shifting their legs so their hips were once again inline. He licked along Purple's collarbone and throat as his fingers shifted to grasp the back of his partner's legs, shifting until Purple was straddling him.

Smiling in victory around Red's antenna, Purple pulled back, unwrapping his arms so he could sit on top of his partner. He felt like he was pinning Red down and that Red was submitting to him, admitting defeat. Purple liked that and smirked down at him. Red's eyes seemed darker, deeper and they focused sharply onto him. He'd never seen Red with that look before, it was a piercingly hungry look. Red was a strong predator, but Purple had him pinned. That look was _his_. Red was _his._

Placing his hands on Red's chest, Purple licked his lips, slightly tasting that sweet lingering flavor from Red's skin. "You aren't going to ask me what I want?" Purple taunted. He wanted Red to be his, to say that he belonged to him, but he wouldn't mind if Red gave him something. He couldn't think of what he wanted from Red, besides submission, but Purple was sure he would think of something.

Red smirked up at him causing Purple to squint an eye at the confident look. "I don't think that's necessary," he said his voice almost a purr. To make himself clear, Red's fingers slipped over Purple's hips and trailed down his lower stomach and lightly grazed against the skin between his legs.

Purple gasped and hissed at the sensation, it sent sparks along his spine and almost darkened his vision. It was almost too much and Purple hunched over to escape the slight touch. Red's gaze shifted lower and Purple looked down to see what held his attention.

He gasped, first noticing that between Red's legs his skin had darkened to a deep green. Then Red held his fingers out and they had a slight sheen to them, like he had touched something wet. Purple was slightly confused until he felt something that made his mind and body freeze. Wetness. He felt wetness between his legs. The sensation spread and he felt something drip along his inner thigh.

A cold chill ran through Purple's body from his toes to the tips of his antennae. Shocked, a feeling akin to fear ran up his spine and took a hold of his breath. The part of his mind that had been drowning in the physical sensations slammed itself forward and began screaming in panic. Suddenly _what_ they were doing dawned on him. This wasn't just tasting Red, touching Red, this was something more. It wasn't about all those good feelings, it was about the Irken race, the Control Brains, him being a recessive-gender and making smeets.

The cold shock was instantly replaced with an uncomfortably hot feeling and Purple knew that his face was probably more blue than green. If he looked down farther, he knew what he would see and it scared him. He jerked his eyes up to Red's hoping to see something reassuring there, that this wasn't happening. Red's gaze was transfixed to what Purple dared not acknowledge, but he seemed to sense his co-leader's stare and he looked up.

Almost instantly Red realized he made a huge tactical error. The lustful glaze to his eyes quickly cleared, but it was taking longer for his flavor crazed mind to think of a way to save the situation. Purple began shaking and suddenly his eyes squeezed shut. Red felt something wet and glanced down to see more of the fluid that had dissolved Purple's layer of skin drip down both onto Red and down Purple's legs.

There was a line running down between Purple's legs slowly leaking that clear fluid, but Red didn't see any male parts or any opening. His partner still had his eyes screwed shut and his legs were trembling slightly with the effort of keeping him upright. Red didn't move or say anything in fear of startling Purple. He had to say the right thing or else this would all be ruined, the appearance of the mating organs was clearly upsetting Purple.

However, Red never got the chance to speak as a chiming _beep_ alerted them that there was a visitor outside their chamber doors. The sound made Purple jerk as if he had been hit and his eyes popped open. There was a look of complete horror on his face as he quickly glanced down at himself and paled. Before Red could say anything Purple sprang from the couch and bolted into his room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. Purple it's going to be okay. He's having a hard time right now accepting the drastic changes to his body. Before he'd been hoping that everything had been a mistake, a miscalculation and with enough time everything would go back to the way it was before. But with this he can tell that there is no going back. He's on the brink of change, and while never admitting it, he's scared. 
> 
> My idea for Purple's character is that he has a lot of depth. His actions come from a deeply rooted complex. Becoming the Tallest with Red has let a lot of his anxieties and fears lay dormant inside of him, but the new development is stirring up a lot for Purple. 
> 
> Red to me is more straightforward. He's a little more simple in his approach to things. He wants something? He takes it. He doesn't like something? He gets rid of it. He has a lot of natural talent that gives him a great amount of confidence and arrogance in his approach to life. There is nothing he can't have, there isn't anything he can't do. He's never come across a obstacle he couldn't overcome. Red hasn't suffered much in his life. The only Irken who has ever given Red a hard time, one that he couldn't completely beat was Purple. 
> 
> However, unlike most other Irkens instead of making Purple a rival and striving to beat him, Red began to think of Purple as an equal. Because Red never really had to try too hard to accomplish his goals, he gets bored easy. And his straightforwardness makes it hard for him to care about things that he doesn't see as interesting. He doesn't understand why he should put effort into things that don't interest him. In short he can be very lazy. But even when feeling lazy Purple makes things interesting. So Red has done a lot of behind the scenes work over the years to keep them together. 
> 
> When Red found out that Purple had an interest in becoming a Tallest candidate, Red immediately latched onto the idea as well. It wasn't unusual for there to be two Tallest and if not Red was sure if one of them became Tallest he could find a way to stay together. 
> 
> Red had long ago viewed Purple as someone vital to his existence. In a sense he viewed Purple as belonging to him; his entertainment, his companion, his co-leader. When all these new sensations appeared in his body and his sexual abilities were activated he didn't even question his sexual attraction to Purple, he'd been attracted to the tall Irken for a long time. Red felt desire, so he wanted to do something about it with the one Irken that caused those feelings. To him it was as simple as that. 
> 
> More of Purple's issues will be explored in the next few chapters, but I wanted to touch a little on Red's background since the focus is mostly on Purple. Red isn't stupid, he's smart and cunning, but he's very immature and selfish in his approach to life. He wants something, it's his. He doesn't like something, he doesn't do it. He cares little for others' opinions and in actuality the only reason he cares about the prosperity of the Irken Empire is that it benefits him.


	14. An Equal Exchange

 Red hissed as the chime when off again. Righting himself he pushed off the couch and walked awkwardly over to the door. His skin hadn't dissolved yet, but he could feel the wetness underneath. Any movement sent little jolts through his body, sometimes pleasant sometimes uncomfortable. In all, it was a very irritating feeling. He slammed his fist on the voice-only receiver so he could find out what Mik wanted. He had no doubt who it was ringing at their door.

"What?" Red snapped angrily.

"My Tallest Red," Mik's voice came through the little speaker. "I wanted to check on you and Tallest Purple. I have not heard from you in a few cycles and wanted to see if there was anything you needed and if any progress was made."

"No, go away," Red hissed.

"My Tallest," Mik began sounding very patient. "I am not standing close enough to have the door open out of respect for the agreement we made."

Red growled at the door. The last thing he wanted was for Mik to come in and freak Purple out more. He shouldn't be wasting time talking to the medical drone he had to talk to Purple. "We're fine, don't need anything, and we'd have made more _progress_ ," Red spat the word. "If you hadn't buzzed on the door."

"Oh!" came the surprised reply. "I am sorry for interrupt your mating. Please alert me when you have finished copulating and I can check to see if a smeet has taken."

"Go. Away." Red glared at the door.

"Yes, of course, but don't forget-"

"-GO!" Red shouted and he heard a _Eep!_ squeaked out before the speaker went off. He stared at the door challengingly, daring it to open, but it remained closed. Red hissed at the door once more for good measure before following after his panicked partner.

His legs were still twitching uncomfortably as he went into the bedroom. Purple wasn't there, which didn't surprise him. Red was glad he sealed the closet shut or else Purple probably would have barricaded himself in there. Not bothering to search the room Red stepped into the bathroom. He thought that he was going to have to coax Purple out of a cupboard or something, but instead he saw Purple sitting in the far corner of the tub; his legs crossed at the ankles and his knees tucked up near his chin. When Red entered Purple briefly looked up, flushed deep blue and flinched before adverting his eyes.

Red walked around the tub and stepped in so he could sit next to Purple in the warm and soothing gel. He expected his partner to protest his presence or move away, but Purple remained still. Unsure what to say that wouldn't make things worse or set Purple off, Red decided to avoid the thing he really wanted to talk about.

"It was Mik," he reported. "Making sure we were still alive," Red said trying to smile. "And to see if we needed anything. I told him 'no' and he left." Purple nodded slightly, but didn't say anything. Red decided to remain silent and wait. Purple wasn't trying to get away from him so he took that as a good sign.

Red settled down into the gel, stretching his legs and trying to ignore the ever-present tingling sensation between them. He saw Purple glance at him a few times, but Red just relaxed and stayed silent. He could tell there was something brewing inside his counterpart's mind by the way his antennae were twitching. Purple wasn't being silent out of stubbornness, but because he wasn't ready to speak.

Eventually, Red's patience paid off as Purple spoke. "I can't go back."

Red raised an antenna in inquiry, not understanding.

"The skin's gone, forever, it's not growing back," Purple clarified, squeezing his arms tighter around his legs. "I feel... less perfect."

"Shouldn't it be the opposite?" Red said, making Purple turn towards him. "Our bodies were supposed to be this way from the start, right? Now that our PAKs have been activated we'll be _more_ perfect than we were before, not less. And you and I, we're the most perfect out of all of them," Red said grinning.

Purple blinked, he'd never thought of it like that. He tilted his head and after mulling over Red's words he replied. "I suppose...yeah, we are pretty great," he said with a small half smile.

Red nodded and he waited, but Purple didn't uncurl or lean into him, or show any interest in continuing from before. He still looked contemplative and slightly concerned. "What else is bothering you?" Red asked. "You didn't seem to mind what we were doing before. I know the sudden change upset you, but that doesn't impact who you are. So why do you still look unhappy?"

"Why do you touch me so much?" Purple asked back. "You like being closer more than you did before. Why?"

Scratching his chin, Red thought about Purple's question. The obvious answer was that he wanted to taste him again. However, as he thought about it he realized it wasn't just that. Sometimes he just liked the feeling of having his co-Tallest close. They always did everything together even the mundane things would seem interesting if Purple was there with him. As for the touching, it came down to a sensory thing.

"I like the feeling of your skin against mine. It feels good, right. I've been wanting to touch antennae and taste you again for a while now. The scent you make, combined with the taste of your mouth and the feeling of your antennae against mine, it's better than pure sugar." When he admitted that a slight tint of blue appeared on Purple's cheeks, making Red's do the same. Not wanting to get stuck in that feeling Red quickly continued. "It feels good to be near you, touching or not, but I like touching more. I've liked it a lot more since our PAKs were activated, it sends jolts of energy along my skin. I like that feeling. I like touching you. So I do," Red shrugged.

"Me too," Purple said making Red's spooch twist in a good way. "It felt odd at first, and it made the embarrassment so much worse, but because it didn't bother you I made it not bother me. I get the same feelings. I enjoy tasting you. It makes..." Purple trailed off and frowned as he tried to find the words. "It makes me feel like an invader again. The thrills, the fight, knowing that everything belongs to me," Purple frowned deeper. "Except it doesn't really. No matter how great I fight, or how much I conquer, it never is just mine, it belongs to the Empire."

"But we're the Tallest now," Red argued. "Everything belongs to us."

"Yes, but _we_ belong to the Control Brains," Purple said pointedly, resting his chin on his knees. "The reason we're stuck in our chambers, the reason we're doing this is because of the Control Brains' orders. I like what we did too, _Irk_ ," he mumbled tilting his head down so Red almost didn't hear. "You're the most addicting flavor in the universe," at this Red felt his face flush and his pride swelled knowing that Purple felt that way about him.

"But mating," Purple continued and winced at the word. "We're only doing it because we've been ordered to. It feels bad that way. Tasting each other, that's just for us, but anything past that belongs to the Control Brains, the Empire. I don't like it. It's like being an invader," he repeated. "Whatever I claim will never become mine. It isn't mine. It belongs to _them_. You belong to them. I belong to them."

Saying nothing Red moved in front of Purple. Using his four fingers he grabbed onto his partner's face holding him still. Red flicked his tongue out slowly dragging it underneath Purple's lower lip, startling him, but he didn't pull away. "You belong to me," Red said his voice a low hiss. "Your touch," Red caressed the back of Purple's head with his fingers. "Your taste," he ran his tongue over Purple's lips. "Your flavor," his antennae fell forward to pick up more of the sweet scent Purple was giving off. "They all belong to me. If Mik suddenly came in here with orders from the Control Brains to switch us to different partners, you know what I'd do?"

"What?" Purple asked, he hadn't uncurled but he didn't tense when Red touched him either, he even leaned into the touch.

"I'd throw him out the airlock," Red grinned. "Then I'd tell the Control Brains that you were mine and if they disagreed, I'd destroy them," Red whispered earning a wide-eyed stare from Purple. "Because before being Tallest and before being elites, we are Irken. Irkens take what they want and they destroy anyone who gets in their way. I want you, Pur, and not because of any Control Brains' order or because it is for the Empire. I want you because I want you."

Shock faded from Purple's eyes as Red spoke and their color darkened as he grinned wickedly. Reaching out, Purple grabbed Red's face as his own was held. "I won't just give in to you. I won't belong to you because you say you want me to," he pulled Red's face closer and Red let himself be moved easily. "However, I might be willing to trade."

"What do you want in exchange?" Red asked already knowing the answer.

"I want you to belong to me," Purple's grip tightened, holding Red's head firmly, but not painfully.

"I get you, you get me," Red summed up. "We're co-Tallest. We already share an entire Empire and most of the universe. Belonging to each other, I suppose that works. It keeps things equal, balanced."

"Good," Purple's grin turned sly. "Can we still throw Mik out the airlock?"

"If he comes back before we contact him, sure," Red said sharing in Purple's wicked smile.

"That sounds like a good plan," Purple said.

"Of course, all my plans are perfect," Red replied.

Purple chuckled, "All the ones I approve of and revise, you mean."

Red opened his mouth, but his protest died on his lips as Purple's tongue snaked along them, then slipped in. In the next moment Red even forgot what it was he wanted to argue about.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How to woo an Irken: whisper sweet words of murder and offer to betray your Empire on your lover's behalf (it makes them feel special).
> 
> Ah, poor Purple. He wanted Red so much. He was thinking about what it would mean if they went through with a mating. Purple liked tasting and touching Red because that was something they would do without consequence and they could do it for the enjoyment of it. Mating was an order, a mission, and in every previous mission once accomplished they would be required to move on, to give what they won to the Empire. Purple didn't want to give up Red. He wanted Red to be just his, but there is no such thing in the Empire. That was until Red said 'why the hell not?'
> 
> For Red that whole thing wasn't even an issue he considered. He viewed Purple as a personal mission, having nothing to do with the Empire. In his eyes, of course Purple would always be with him. Anyone who tried to tell him otherwise was as good as dead. His first loyalties are to Purple, then the Control Brains, then the Empire, it has always been that way for him. It's just that those three loyalties had never been in conflict, until now.


	15. Mine

Purple tasted his co-leader, fully enjoying the flavor. He held onto Red's head as their tongues twisted together, the feeling it invoked in Purple almost had him reeling. It wasn't just the physical sensations. It was knowing that Red wanted to taste him, wanted to touch him as much as he wanted to touch Red. It was this fevered, hot sensation in his veins that compelled him to hold Red closer. It was knowing that this Irken was his alone.

The Control Brains could tell them what to do, but Red was right, _this_ was only for them.

He wanted to taste more of Red, to feel more of his partner in this frenzy of touch and taste. Purple used the back of the tub for support, pulling Red close and trapping him against his knees. Red's fingers curled around Purple's skull as they held each other in place, neither one letting the other go.

Red began making sounds from the back of his throat every time Purple squeezed his tongue, and Purple relished in them. His antennae fell forward and Red tilted his own to meet them. They both gasped at the first contact, the initial feeling was overwhelming before becoming an increasingly pleasant sensation that spread from their antennae down the rest of their bodies. Purple's antennae slid easily along Red's, their forehead bumped together so their entire stalks could rub against each other. Purple closed his eyes, the input from his antennae too much to process, but he could feel Red's panting breath mingling with his own as their tongues continued to wrap around each other.

Those long fingers slipped from Purple's head as Red trailed them along his shoulders then under the gel and down his sides where they rested at his hips. Red stroked his skin and outlined his bones in little patterns. The light touches were making Purple's skin extra sensitive and a growing warmth pooled once more between his legs. He could feel something shift around in his spooch, it was both uncomfortable and pleasant. Needing to do something about it, he shifted his knees so his legs could part slightly and alleviate some of that uncomfortableness. Red, who was pressed up against his knees, slid forward and pressed their hips together. With a moan Red began grinding against him. This was most unhelpful because it made the uncomfortable pressure worse, but yet it still felt good and Purple couldn't help but groan.

Untangling their tongues and antennae Purple pulled his head back to speak, which Red took as an invitation to caress his neck with his tongue and nibble small bites with his teeth. It felt so good, the small bites and nips only adding to the sensations, that it took Purple a moment more to form words. "Red," Purple breathed. "Ease back, the pressure..."

"I can't," Red mumbled against Purple's neck, his hips continuing to press against him. "I need it, _Irk_ , it's making me crazy. The skin, it's so _Irken_ itchy," Red hissed.

Purple figured out what Red meant pretty quickly and he pushed Red's torso back enough to see their hips being pressed together. Through the gel, Purple could see a peek of dark green skin at Red's groin. Purple's skin had dissolved rather quickly, but just like in the vid it seemed Red was having some trouble. Instead of feeling envious and upset that Red hadn't changed yet, he was just a little smug.

"Having some trouble, Red?" Purple teased as he moved his hands down to capture Red's hips and stop him from grinding. Red hissed in frustration, his grip at Purple's hips tightening. "Want me to help?" Purple asked, making Red still and stare at him with wide eyes. He looked a little suspicious, not sure if Purple meant what he said, so Purple moved one hand closer to Red's groin, his fingertips just shy of the darkened skin.

Red responded by carefully sliding his hips forward. Bending over to rest his head on Purple's shoulder, he trembled when Purple's fingers came in contact with that spot. Red moved his hands up to grab the edge of the tub behind Purple's shoulders. "Pur," he purred Purple's name in a low rumble. The sound sent chills up Purple's antennae. Wanting to hear more, he began rubbing the skin that was causing Red so much grief. In response to the touches, Red lifted his hips and moved them down to gain more pressure.

Hearing the sounds his Red was making, Purple felt a low rumble rise up in his own chest. Purple licked the side of Red's neck in approval, as Red continued to move against his fingers. Touching Red, hearing Red's sounds, feeling Red move against his hand; it gave Purple this odd feeling, like he was greater than he already was. Purple couldn't quite describe it, except that he felt taller than he ever had before, like he was the tallest Tallest in Irken history, and it was all because of Red. He wanted more of that feeling. He wanted more pleasing touches. He wanted more of Red.

Purple groaned and shifted as this intense feeling built between his legs, the uncomfortable pleasure became worse and Purple felt something move around behind the newly exposed skin. Red--his attention drawn in by the sounds Purple made--pulled back enough to look at his partner. Purple's hips moved forward as he felt that moving thing begin to push past the parted skin. Red's gaze lowered and Purple felt a jolt. He couldn't tell if the feeling was embarrassment or something else, his brain was too overwhelmed by the physical sensations between his legs to fully analyze it.

He felt what he guessed to be his male organ finally free itself from his body. The uncomfortable feeling faded and Purple relaxed back so he could see for himself. Like in the vid, it resembled an Irken tongue, but much wider and not as long. It was a dark purple, which was different from the Irken in the vid (his was a darker pink). The newly exposed male part was very sensitive, Purple could feel the warm slick gel surrounding it and it felt very good. It twitched then moved slightly all on its own, weirdly enough he had no control over its small wiggling movements.

"Purple," Red whispered looking down at him. "You're purple."

"Apparently," Purple said with a sly smile and he began touching Red's groin again, rubbing a little harder than before. Red's eyes slid shut and he hissed in pleasure. Purple ran his tongue along his own lips before leaning forward to lick Red's. He felt the skin give way beneath his fingers, "And you?" Purple asked as he felt Red's male part quickly unfurl from the parted skin, making Red shudder with relief. They both looked down at the new addition to Red's body.

"I'm red," Red smirked, seeing his own organ.

"Yes you are," Purple agreed and curiously trailed his fingers along the new length. Red immediately bucked his hips forward so his organ could slide along Purple's hand.

"Oh, _Irk_ , Pur, that feels amazing," Red breathed, closing his eyes to focus on that new feeling.

"Does it?" Purple asked curiously and he held the organ in his palm slowly moving his hand up and down the length. Red's male part twisted against Purple's arm and the end curled and uncured against his skin. Purple hummed in interest at the reaction, and his eyes darkened upon seeing the effect it was having on Red.

Red's eyes glazed, the tip of his tongue stuck out of his mouth as his breathing came in heavy gasps in between the throaty moans he was making. Purple felt his own organ's tip curl and uncurl and it squirmed slightly. He also began to feel another warm tingling sensation just below his male part and every so often his could feel his insides twitch with small bursts of pleasurable feelings.

"Yes," Red hissed in answer to Purple's question as he sat back on his knees. Purple's hand didn't leave him, as they sat nearly level with each other. "It does," he said and reached out to touch Purple in the same manner that he was being touched.

Purple gasped at the first contact and his eyes closed momentarily. This new organ was ten times more sensitive and receptive to touch than his antennae were. " _Irk,_ " Purple hissed as Red began moving his hand. He felt his male part curl against Red's arm for maximum contact. They continued touching each other and Purple felt his hips move into a rhythm with his hand as he touched Red, Red's movements synchronizing with him. He began to feel a new, more intense pleasurable pressure build inside him. It made his insides twitch like crazy and he could almost feel his male part pulse.

"Pur," Red panted near his antennae. "It want to try something," he said brushing one antennae against his. The duel touches intensified the sensations and Purple decided that he wanted more. Using his free hand Purple reached up to Red's neck and pulled him closer so he could fully taste his Red.

Red came to him eagerly, twisting their tongues together. He moved closer, pressing their bodies close, which made it difficult to move their hands as they bumped into each other. Purple made an annoyed noise and Red let go of Purple's male part, which earned him an even more annoyed hiss. Grabbing Purple's hand, Red gently pulled until he too let go. The lack of contact meant a lack of good feelings, and Purple was about to voice his disapproval until Red pressed his hips forward and their two parts touched. Instantly they twisted together, striving for contact, the narrowed tips entwining particularly tight. They both shuddered and stopped tasting each other as they needed more air to breathe.

The contact was intense, but it still wasn't enough. Almost simultaneously they began moving, grinding hips and sliding their parts against each other. Both drowning in the sensations of their bodies. All thoughts of Control Brains, smeets and of the entire Irken Empire dissipated. Purple's PAK was overwhelmed and quickly gave up trying to regulate the feelings and instead let them take over. As that pressure began to grow, their parts twisted tighter together causing them to both moan. Finally a few thoughts did sift into Purple's mind and they all centered around Red. _Mine. Mine. Mine._

Touching antennae, entwined limbs, fingers scratching each others' backs, breaths colliding, and male organs tightly twisting together; Purple's body shook with the feelings colliding. He was so closely pressed to Red that he could feel him shaking as well. The pressure became almost painfully intense as the pleasure reached a peak. Then all at once he felt his male organ vibrate along with Red's and his body convulsed. A wave of release washed over him and everything up until that point paled in comparison to that moment. His entire body went rigid, his back arching, Red mirroring him so their bodies pressed tightly together. Purple was sure he made some sort of noise, but his antennae were too overwhelmed to correctly pick up on sound.

Once the wave passed, Purple sagged back, his body going completely lax and Red collapsed on top of him. His head rested next to Purple's on the edge of the floor of the cleaning room. Not to long after they both shivered as their now over-sensitive organs slipped past each other to curl back inside their bodies. Every so often Purple could feel his insides twitch and send little pleasure waves, but when he didn't move the feelings faded. His entire body felt light and warm and very, very relaxed. He didn't want to move for a long time, nor did he want the presence of Red's body to leave his own. He wrapped his arms around Red, making sure to keep his partner close to him.

A lick at his cheek had him turning to face Red. With half-lidded eyes and a lazy smile, Red purred, "Mine," as his antennae gently and very lightly brushed against his. The soft touch was comforting.

Purple copied Red's expression and repeated the gesture, his antennae brushing back against Red's. "Mine," Purple said and Red's eyes slipped closed, content, and from his breathing Purple could tell he had slipped into a sleep cycle. Purple felt his eyes become heavy so he closed them, contentment filling him and sending him into a light sleep cycle as well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their first sexual encounter and the beginning of their new relationship! Both of them are excited by the idea of the other belonging to them. This exclusive possessiveness of their chosen one is something deeply connected to their basic biology. The boys are getting back in touch with their primitive roots. 
> 
> Also fun head canon fact: An Irken's eye color matches the color of their internal/external sexual organs. The gene that dictates eye color is the same gene that decides their reproductive organ color.
> 
> Also only skilled/experienced Irkens can gain control over their male parts, otherwise their wiggling movements are a mystery to their respective Irkens.


	16. Purple's Plan

When Purple woke up Red was resting against him still sleeping. If his calculations were correct Red would be asleep for maybe another half hour. Irkens didn't need much sleep and they could go a long time without any. It was mostly seen as a luxury and a privilege when not needed for healing purposes. PAKs could refresh the mind and body as much as needed, but a good hour of sleep felt very good.

Purple carefully slipped out from under Red, making sure his mate was comfortably resting against the tub and sat back so he could study him. Gently reaching out Purple caressed the side of Red's cheek. A swell of this new emotion filled him. He'd never experienced it before, but he liked this feeling a lot. It invoked a deep possessiveness, stronger than anything Purple had ever felt before.

Red was his. Purple was the only one in the entire Irken race to see Red like this, to touch Red like this. And he was Red's as well. Red was the only Irken he would allow to see him like this, Red was the only Irken he would allow to touch him. Red was the only one he would allow to mate with him. This duality of his thoughts made Purple's spooch twist, but not unpleasantly. It was a welcome feeling, a good feeling. It made him want to reach out and touch Red more and he wanted Red to wake up and touch him as well.

But that would have to wait. They belonged to each other and he did not doubt Red's promise from before. Red would be bold and brash and he would openly challenge the Control Brains. Purple wasn't worried about Red. He knew if there was fighting, Red would be successful in battle. He'd seen vids of Red from his battlefield days. Red could be very brutal. He'd fight and tear apart anyone in his path. While Purple felt a deep respect for this, he knew that this would only cause them more problems. They were the Tallest. The Empire needed them. It would throw their people into chaos if their leaders rebelled against the Control Brains so violently.

Purple knew this and he found himself thinking clearly for the first time in what felt like cycles. He knew what he had to do. He would not let Red put himself in a situation where their positions as Tallest would be jeopardized. They both liked being the Tallest and they were good at it. The Empire could not lose more Tallest. Purple felt a little ashamed about his own actions from before. He had done something that would have caused Red a great amount of grief. Purple did not want to upset Red and he deeply regretted having done so before.

Quietly, so as not to disturb Red, he left the cleansing room. First thing first, he needed to get into his closet and get his Tallest robes and armor. Purple studied the welded shut door. Red melted the locking mechanism, without his PAK there was no way for him to get inside. Purple stared down the door as if his irritation with it would make it open. After a moment an idea occurred to him and he left the bedroom to go into Red's. he thought he would have a better chance of breaking down Red's door, but to his surprise it easily opened. Red's closet was open and Purple rummaged around until he found boots, pants and an undershirt. Red had a set of armor stored in there and Purple considered wearing it, but eventually decided that just the basics would suit his purpose. Once dressed he grabbed one of the readers from the common space and sent a message to Mik.

Purple settled himself down on the couch and he didn't have to wait long for the medical drone to arrive. Mik didn't bother announcing his presence and let the doors open for him. The short drone huffed, having sprinted the entire way to their suite. Spying Purple on the couch he rushed towards him.

"M-My...Tallest Purple," he panted. "You said my presence was urgently needed?"

Purple leaned back into the couch and gestured in front of him, "Sit."

Mik looked around, there wasn't anywhere to sit but the floor. He looked up at his Tallest and seeing Purple's hard expression he quickly sat in front of him.

"The Empire cannot afford to lose another Tallest," Purple began. "News will spread that we cannot make any more clones until the new smeets have been born and their DNA harvested for the smeeteries. Our enemies, if they get wind of this, will use this against us. They'll rally together and strike at us while we can't replace the soldiers that are lost. We've been able to keep this information semi-secret, but eventually the rest of the Irken race will find out how precarious our position is. Until this is fixed, we are at a standstill. We can't afford to lose any Irkens, especially the Tallest."

"Do not worry, my Tallest," Mik said feeling a bit excited. "I have set up everything to make sure that you are comfortable and healthy while carrying your smeet," he pulled out a reader from his PAK. "I can scan you now to see if—"

"We have not created a smeet yet," Purple interrupted him and before Mik could say anything he continued, "And that is not what I am speaking of." Purple leaned forward to loom over Mik. "The Control Brains need unity and cooperation right now. If there were any unrest or internal struggles it would surely result in disaster," Purple didn't speak in a whisper but he said the words softly and Mik leaned forward with big round eyes. "The Empire would not survive a mutiny, _you_ would not survive a mutiny."

Mik's eyes widened further, which Purple found amusing as they were already very large. The short medic began trembling, a faint understanding coming to him. "My Tallest?" he breathed.

"You would like to prevent anything from happening that would result in the Empire losing their Tallest and maybe a Control Brain or two as well, correct?" Purple said his voice a threatening coo. Mik nodded quickly. "Good, then I want you to do something for me."

"O-Of course, my Tallest," Mik said fearfully.

Purple's dark grin did nothing to reassure the trembling medic. Once he made sure Mik understood what it was Purple required of him, he sent Mik away to take care of his 'request'. Taking off the borrowed uniform, Purple put everything back in Red's closet. When Purple went back into the cleansing room, he found Red right where he left him, his head resting on the tub's edge and the floor. Stepping into the warm gel, Purple gently slid Red's unconscious form closer and carefully flipped him over in the gel so his PAK was nestled against Purple's stomach. Rising his knees, Purple shifted so Red was trapped between them and he laid his mate's head back against his chest. This way Purple was able to look down at the full form of his mate. A pleased sound rumbled from his chest, making Red shift as he began to wake. Not wanting him to move yet, Purple gently stroked Red's antennae smoothing them over his head. Red purred at the touch and his eyes slowly opened.

* * *

Red stirred and felt himself shift out of sleep-mode. His body felt extraordinarily good and this warm sensation filled him. As he came more alert he felt a tingling sensation from his antennae, a pleasant buzz. The feeling made his limbs heavy and his will to move left him. Unable to stop himself, he felt his chest vibrate with a purring sound. Having his antennae touched like this felt so good and so relaxing. Maybe he would designate a drone to be his exclusive antennae petting servant. However, he dismissed the idea as soon as he thought of it. There was only one Irken he wanted touching him.

"Pur," the name escaped his lips as he thought about his co-leader and mate.

"Hm?"

The reply pulled Red fully out of sleep-mode. Warmth flooding his spooch when he realized Purple was wrapped around him, holding him, touching him on his own accord. He wanted to bury himself deeper into this feeling and turn to wrap his arms around his mate and feel that warm skin against his own, but another part of his spooch demanded his attention.

Turning his head to look up into deep purple eyes, Red's expression showed his partner how conflicted he was, "I'm hungry."

Purple chuckled and stopped stroking Red's antennae making Red wish he could ignore his body's needs for just a little longer. "Me too," Purple said sitting up straighter, forcing Red to do the same. "We've been going into sleep-mode too much this cycle. Let's eat some snacks and at least get through a few of the readers first."

"First?" Red repeated quizzically, as Purple slipped out from behind him. He watched Purple pull himself of the tub and his gaze became transfixed on the gel sliding down Purple's skin. Red felt his lower spooch lurch as his mind replaced the gel with his fingers. He wanted to touch Purple again. He wanted to touch every inch of the Irken he claimed as his own. His thoughts shifting from hungry to another part of his spooch.

"Yes, _first,"_ Purple said turning to wait for him. Red blinked to clear his mind and gripped the edge of the tub to hoist himself out. "Before we mate again," he said making Red slip and fall back into the gel.

Red could feel a blue tint appear on his cheeks when he saw Purple smirk at him. "You want to?" Red asked and the question made Purple lose his smug look as his face's color turned to match Red's.

"Yes," Purple admitted, avoiding direct eye contact with Red.

Reaching out, Red wrapped his two fingers around Purple's calf, sliding them down to his ankle. "Can we do that first and the other stuff second?" Red asked pleased by the way he saw Purple looking at him. Purple liked the touch as much as Red liked giving it.

"What about snacks?" Purple asked as Red slid his fingers back up his lower leg. He could have moved out of Red's reach, but he didn't.

"After," Red said and that comment made Purple tense. Feeling the tension Red studied his mate's face.

Purple looked down at him with surprise and a small, happy smile turned the corners of his lips. "You mean that? You'd choose me first over snacks?" Red didn't think much about the comment when he said it, as it was true, but looking at Purple he understood the implications of such a statement. And he meant every word.

"Yes."

"Me too," Purple said making a smile split Red's face. Purple would choose him over his own life. He was first, the most important in Purple's eyes; just as Purple was first to him. In that moment the entire Empire could blow up and still it wouldn't phase him. He was the most important to Purple.

"But we still need to eat," Purple said stepping back out of Red's reach. Disappointment filled Red, until he looked up at Purple's playful grin, "And work on the readers."

Red sighed and with a pout he asked, "Do we have to?"

"We're the Tallest, we can't just abandon our duties," Purple scolded, though his tone was still light and teasing.

"This is our—," Red stopped himself in time when he saw Purple's expression turn weary. He almost said something that would have ruined everything. "—only time alone," he said with quick thinking. "Can't we make the most of it?"

"We need the sugar," Purple said not budging on the matter, "And the work will pile up. Let's finish as much as we can."

Red wanted to argue more, until a wicked thought popped into his head. Purple was right, they both needed sugar. He'd gone a few hours without any and his body was letting him know he needed more. "You're right," he said getting out and standing next to Purple. "Let's see how much we can finish," Red said a slight challenge in his voice.

Purple narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he followed Red into the common space where their snacks and readers were waiting for them. Red sat on the couch and patted the space next to him as he grabbed the plate of donuts. Hungry, Purple sat close to Red and hooked a few donuts around his fingers. Chomping down and chewing, he swept his eyes over the pile of readers. Picking up one he began reading, Red following suit.

They ate snacks, filling themselves until their hunger subsided and they were snacking casually. Full of energy again, Red finished typing his message to the head snack making drone about his pressing question on the correct shade of pink frosting. Red went to the next message on the reader and only half paid attention to the 'urgent' message from the cleaning drones about their outrage over the blue colored cleaning supplies in the last shipment. He leaned his head off the edge of the couch arm and glanced at Purple, whom was lounging against the opposite arm of the couch his feet tucked up to his side. In one hand he gripped a sandwich and in the other he carefully read a message.

Making a show of stretching, Red shifted as if getting a more comfortable position on the couch and rested his feet against Purple's shins. Purple did nothing more than glance down before taking another bite of his sandwich and going back to reading. Red moved his foot, his two clawed toes sliding along Purple's leg. Sensing that the movement was purposeful, Purple set down the reader, giving Red his attention.

"How much work _can_ you finish?" Red asked his tone challenging, but playful. Purple frowned at him, not yet understanding the game. He moved his foot up a little higher to caress Purple's thigh, "How much work can you finish, or will you give up now?"

Purple's eyes lit up with understanding. He picked up the reader with a smug look. "I won't have a problem getting my work done."

"Are you sure?" Red purred. "As I remember it, you had a hard time keeping calm whenever I touched you."

"As long as you don't cheat, I'll be fine," Purple said with determination as his eyes stayed glued to the reader. He took another bite of his sandwich.

"Cheat?" Red asked in a mock offended tone. "Me?"

"No antennae," Purple said, looking up to narrow his eyes at him. "That's cheating."

"No antennae," Red agreed and he felt a surge of excitement. Purple went back to reading, but from the tense and alert posture of his antennae Red knew that his co-leader was on high alert despite the relaxed posture of his body. With this game he had free access to touch Purple and as long as he stayed away from antennae, he could touch as much as he wanted without interference. Red wasn't sure if Purple thought the game through, but no matter what happened Red would win.

He could touch Purple as much as he wanted and he'd been wanting to for awhile now. Every time he looked at Purple he had this urge to touch, to taste, and it made his lower spooch move inside him. Even if Purple never gave in, he could fulfill his need to touch and if Purple did give in...

Red's tongue twisted behind his teeth, he wanted to lock their tongues together, but that wasn't part of the game. He would have to get Purple to put down the reader and respond back to do that, meaning Red would have to win. Swinging his feet around Red crawled along the long couch to kneel next to his target. He knew Purple was watching him and aware of his every movement, even though his eyes were fixed on his reader.

Slowly, Red reached out, making sure his hand wasn't easily seen behind the reader. When his finger brushed Purple's knee, Red felt him twitch and he grinned at Purple's furrowed brow. Red didn't think Purple would be able to ignore him for long, but he wanted to play this game as long as he could.

Keeping's Purple's face in his peripheral vision, Red gave his co-leader's bare legs more of his attention. Curled up as they were it was hard to see how long they really were. Trailing his fingers over Purple's knee, Red traced the back of Purple's calf, brushing against his thigh as he did so. Reaching his ankle Red tugged, trying to pull it towards him, but Purple locked his ankles together. Purple's mouth set into a thin line, as his muscles tensed to keep him in the same position on the couch.

 _Oh. Okay, Purple, that's the game then_ , Red thought and stopped trying to move him. If Purple moved out of his current position he lost, but if Red forcefully moved Purple that was cheating. He would have to work with whatever he could reach.

Once Red stopped trying to move Purple his muscles relaxed. Red never paid much attention to it before, but under that taunt green skin he could see the small but powerful muscles move. Irkens weren't muscular, not many species Red had come across were. A few Irkens could become more bulky, but it didn't make them stronger. He and Purple were probably among the strongest members of their species. Their height and long limbs gave them concentrated strength.

Red focused on his mate's feet and he traced the bones over muscle and skin. When he caressed the underside of Purple's foot, his two blunt-clawed toes curled. It was an interesting reaction so he added his other fingers, sliding them along the bottom of Purple's foot. He didn't really pay much attention to his own feet, but on Purple he could feel a difference between the sections of skin; some were slightly more malleable while others were very tough. Red made a note in his mind to compare his feet to Purple's later. Purple trembled under his touches and Red glanced up.

Instead of a blue flushed face, he saw Purple trying very hard not to burst into laughter. Red easily recognized that face due to their past calls with Zim. Since that wasn't the reaction he was looking for, Red stilled his fingers with a frown. Purple sighed with relief.

"I was trying very hard not to kick you in the face," Purple admitted, his eyes full of mirth. "But I didn't know if that would make you or me win."

Red pouted at Purple's feet. That was not the sort of reaction he had been hoping for from his mate. "Wrong game," Red said in agreement, and wanting to quickly get back on track he placed a hand on either side of Purple's legs, hovering over him on the couch. "Do you still want to play this one?" he asked lowering his head until it was just above Purple's shoulder.

Red grin at him and stuck out his tongue. He licked the joint of Purple's neck and shoulder, eliciting a shiver from his mate. Purple's eyes snapped back to the reader. "I can still finish this," he said in return.

"Can you?" Red purred, brushing his knuckles along Purple's thigh. His mate tensed, but the sweet smell filling the air spurred Red onward. Now that he had Purple's attention in the way he wanted, Red eased back. He wasn't done exploring Purple's legs, the long thin limbs intrigued him. He knew his legs matched Purple's in length, but he felt that Purple's were slightly thinner; his muscles more toned from his years as an invader where stealth and agility were favorable over the calculated force Red was known for in his battlefield years.

Using light touches, warm breath and wet tongue, Red made sure to touch every inch of Purple's legs he could reach; over his knees, up his thighs and right up to Purple's hip bone. Red paused there to draw small circles along the bone, much like he had done before. He could feel and see Purple's legs tense and his muscles twitch. Purple had both elbows on the arm of the couch and his knuckles were turning pale from his grip on the reader. It had taken a lot of focus, but Purple had managed to finish his sandwich without dropping it, as he had almost done a few times when Red licked along his skin.

By now Purple's breath was a bit more ragged and there was a light sheen on his skin from sweat. Red took note that Purple's antennae were very twitchy against his head. Scooting up, Red moved his arm to wedge it between Purple and the couch. He brushed his fingers along Purple's spine and his mate's back arched giving Red's hand more room and better access to his PAK. Knowing that it felt good, Red slid his hand on one side of Purple's PAK to scratch at the sensitive skin and on the other side he swept his tongue along the joint between PAK and skin. The duel touches on either side of his PAK had Purple gasping and his eyes screwed shut.

"Give up?" Red asked, breathing along Purple's skin.

"No," Purple said using a fair amount of willpower to keep his voice steady. He opened his eyes and focused back on the reader in his hands, though it was shaking slightly. Keeping his hand on Purple's back to brush against his skin, Red let his tongue trail across Purple's ribs, while his other hand crept up to touch as much of Purple's stomach, then this ribs, as Red moved to nibble on Purple's shoulder, his teeth just gazing skin but not hard enough to draw blood, that was for later. His mate trembled and twitched when Red's tongue and teeth ran along his neck, but still Purple didn't give up.

Red dipped his tongue back down Purple's ribs. He loved the taste of Purple's skin. The warm sweetness was nearly intoxicating and the way he could feel Purple move under his touches made him eager for him to win this game and have Purple react without restraint. Not that Red wasn't enjoying this game. Purple was allowing him to touch as much as he wanted and as the scent of his mate filled the air, he had to work just as hard as Purple at keeping his antennae back and out of the way. If any part of his antennae touched Purple it would be his undoing.

Red could feel his lower spooch move around behind the skin still concealing his male organ. It wanted to come out very badly and be touched, but he couldn't let it out before Purple lost and reacted back to him. They didn't say it, but Red felt he would lose in this game if his organ came out first. Purple wasn't even touching him yet he could feel his spooch move. He wasn't going to be able to keep this game going for much longer.

But Red was determined to win.

Besides tasting Purple's mouth and antennae, there was one thing he hadn't tried yet, one part he hadn't tried touching. Lightly biting Purple's ribs, Red moved one hand lower, trailing down Purple's stomach. He felt Purple tense as his fingers neared the edge of the thin line running down between Purple's legs. But he didn't touch it, instead he skipped his fingers around, moving them to Purple's hip and down his thigh. His tongue followed the same path of his fingers. Red paused just above that line and again Purple tensed. Again Red avoided it and moved to Purple's hip, lightly biting bone and skin. He licked along the joint of Purple leg's and hip, then he followed the joint down to where Purple's legs were pressed together.

Red avoided that thin line and pushed his tongue between Purple's legs. He moved further down just a little, until he felt Purple's anticipatory tension ease as he moved away from the twitching skin there. Red had a hunch and an idea. If Purple's body was anything like his own, the skin there was craving attention, attention that Purple was denying it.

Once Red felt he had tricked Purple into thinking his objective was lower, Red went in for his final attack. The entire time, his touches had been light, slow, deliberate. He wanted to fully feel his partner's skin to enjoy the sensation and taste against his tongue. However, this time was different. He moved fast and firmly pressed the length of his tongue up against the thin line. Red's tongue slipped in-between the parting skin and before Purple could do more than gasp, Red snapped his head up, quickly sliding his tongue up along the inside edge of Purple's slit.

The reader clattered to the floor. Purple's hips thrust forward as legs jerked apart, allowing the desperate organ to free itself. Red braced himself on his hands over Purple's body, looking down he watched with triumphant satisfaction as the purple organ wiggled appreciatively at being out in the open. Red hadn't known his tongue was still hanging out until Purple grabbed it.

Darkened purple eyes filled with possessiveness burrowed into his own, "My turn."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here are my thoughts on the dominant/recessive thing. There are 4 Irken genders male, female, neutral, Bi. However due to some complication in the cloning process there are no cloned neutral gendered Irkens. An Irken's identified gender is decided by a specific gene sequance that interacts with the presence of the individuals sex organs. 
> 
> For those of you that remember recessive/dominant eye color gene charts all the possible Irken traits would look like this:
> 
> \----M-----F-----m----f  
> M--(MM)...(MF)....(Mm)...(Mf)  
> F---(FM)...(FF).....(Fm)....(Ff)  
> m--(Mm)...(Fm)...(mm)...(mf)  
> f---(Mf).....(Ff).....(fm)....(ff)
> 
> Purple is Male dominant and Female recessive (Mf)  
> biologically this means he has both male and female organs, but the male genes are dominant and thus he identifies male.
> 
> Red is Pure Male (MM)  
> biologically this means he only has male organ and identifies as male
> 
> Their possible smeet combinations are thus
> 
> \----M------f  
> M--(MM)....(Mf)  
> M--(MM)....(Mf)
> 
> So there is no possible way for them to have a smeet that identifies as female, but they can have a smeet that is female recessive like Purple. 
> 
> For the other combinations with types that are alike they act the same genetically, the only difference has to do with the possible gender combinations they can pass on to their Smeets. (I.e MM, Mm, have no differences genetically or in how those genes are expressed in an Irken, it only matters when making Smeets and if they will pass on a M dominate or m recessive gene)
> 
> MM, Mm, is pure male, only male organs and identifies as male 
> 
> FF, Ff, is Pure female, only female organs and identifies as female. 
> 
> Fm, have both organs but identify as female
> 
> Mf, have both but identify as male
> 
> MF/FM, are Bi-gendered. both organs are present and both are dominant, this means that the Irken can identify as male or female and will sometimes shift back and forth between the two depending on how they are feeling. It's a very fluid gender status. 
> 
> (mf/fm,) are neutral gendered and though both organs are present do not identify strongly as male or female.  
> (mm, ff,) are also neutral but only have one sex organ (mm=male, ff=female) For all recessive Irkens they are neutral in gender and are pretty much asexual. if natural born, they don't typically have mates, desire mates, or make Smeets. On the rare occasion that they do decided to mate with another Irken it is very difficult for viable Smeets to be made and more often than not their bodies are unable to make smeets. 
> 
> If mating pairs are formed it is usually with another Irken that has a dominant trait. two neutral Irkens don't mate with each other. (it is technically possible but just doesn't happen) However, two neutral gendered Irkens, while not being sexual mates, will typically pair off and like to spend time with each other as non-sexual life mates. (a Best friends Forever type of relationship, where you live with your BFF for life) 
> 
> Of course homosexual relationships happen with pairings like a MM, Mm or FF, FF. (etc..) they can be life mates but for obvious reasons they can't make Smeets.
> 
> Thank you for coming to my TED talk.


	17. What Counts as Mating?

Purple applied light pressure to Red's shoulder, telling him to move back and let him up. Since Purple had his tongue in a vice grip and could easily rip out his tongue—not that Red thought he would, but the idea was unpleasant enough—Red moved back to sit on his knees. Still, Purple pushed, so Red moved back until their positions were reversed and Purple was hovering over him. Purple pressed his knee between Red's legs and up against his groin. The pressure against his concealed male organ made Red groan with a half-pained, half-pleased sound. The pressure felt good, but it wasn't what he wanted.

Still holding his tongue captive, Purple closed the distance between their faces. He didn't let go until his tongue was wrapped around Red's. The moment he let go Purple crashed their mouths together, trapping their tongues inside. Tasting and twisting, their tongues slipped between their mouths. Purple would pull Red into his mouth then Red would hook his tongue around Purple's and pull them back into his mouth. They fought for dominance and neither one could hold onto the other for long.

As they tasted each other, their hands grabbed at arms, slid down ribs, and long thin fingers caressed the sensitive skin near their PAKs. Their breaths were gasping and every so often Purple would move slightly, applying just a little more pressure to Red's groin before easing back, the movements were driving him crazy. Ever since their tongues touched, his organ wanted out from behind the skin, but Purple was effectively keeping it confined. Red tried to shift away for more space, but Purple just moved with him. It was hard to focus on forming coherent thoughts due to the sweet scent in the air combined with the way his mate was squeezing his tongue and tasting him.

Red lost all sense a moment later when warm, soft, scent-filled antennae brushed up against his own. His hips bucked forward needing to get space for his straining organ. There wasn't enough space inside his body, it need to come out or else... well, Red didn't know what would happen but it was becoming painful.

He was blocked again by Purple's fingers pressing firmly against his sensitive skin. Red hissed in pleasure as his hips twitched, the feeling of his mate's fingers against the edge of that skin sent jolts of electricity through him. "Pur," Red strained, pulling their mouths apart. "Ease back, I need— _Oh, Irk!_ " Red's head fell back against the couch's arm and his back arched as those two fingers slipped inside and under the slit of skin to brush against his organ. It was still stuck curled up inside and Purple cupped his fingers around it as it tried to push back against them to free itself. Purple's other hand pinned down Red's hips making it impossible for Red to move. He wanted to pull away, or push forward, or do anything, the sensation was too overwhelming.

Antennae met his own again as Purple slightly moved his fingers eliciting a groan turned into a moan from Red. " _Red_ ," Purple whispered his name and Red shivered. There was a darkness to Purple's voice, a wickedness that had Red seeking out those deep purple eyes of his mate. The intense possessiveness he saw there mirrored his own thoughts and thrilled him. "Beg me," Purple purred.

"That's not the game," Red said his hands still gripping Purple's hips. A wickedness filled his own eyes as one hand trailed down to wrap around Purple's male organ. At the first touch Purple's male part tried to twist around his hand wanting as much contact as possible. Purple gasped, shuddered, and his eyes went glazed as a pleased sound vibrated up from his chest.

Red had to still his hand when Purple's fingers moved, touching more of him and the inside of the edge of his parted skin. He hissed at the intense, almost painful pleasure.

"That wasn't _your_ game," Purple said sounding breathless, but he quickly regained himself. "It's my turn, my game, beg _me_ ," Purple purred and licked the underside of Red's jaw.

Red supposed he won the last game. He wouldn't mind if Purple won this one. It would even the score. " _Please_ , Pur," Red rasped out. Purple made a pleased sound and trailed his tongue down Red's throat, then bit lightly at the joint between his neck and shoulder as his fingers moved to guide his male organ out between the split skin and into the air. _"Irk,"_ Red cursed lightly, relieved of the near-painful pressure, though it had felt amazing.

" _Red_ ," Purple breathed his name before pressing their mouths together.

Red eagerly tasted his mate, his hands moving to wrap around Purple and pull him closer. Purple did the same, his elbows down on the couch and his arms curled around Red's shoulders. Shifting his legs around, Red was able to hook his legs around Purple's legs pinning them together. Their organs touched and twisted together, causing them both to gasp into each others' mouths. The need for friction filled them and they slowly moved, grinding their hips together, letting their organs slip against one another, trapped between their bodies.

The feeling was different from when they were in the gel bath, before warmth surrounded them. Now it was easy to tell that their bodies were creating warmth, their reproductive parts especially so. And there was a slickness. They were both sweating as they moved against each other, gasping, touching antennae and tasting mouths and whatever patch of skin they could get close to. It was a desperate building feeling, and Red needed more of it. He moved to grab Purple's hips and unhooked his leg so he could gain a better footing on the couch. Thrusting up he pulled Purple down, his mate hissed with satisfaction at the intensified feeling and pressed harder. Their frenzy of movement picked up and Red felt a familiar pressure fill his lower spooch. The pleasure coursed through his veins as the scent of Purple surrounded him. Purple claimed his mouth, coiling around and pulsing around his tongue as he pressed down hard once last time.

Red felt Purple's organ twitch and pulse until it twisted tightly against his own, making his own twist and pulse and that building pressure broke as he felt his organ release. Purple moaned, or at least Red thought he did (it was hard to tell as he moaned as well), then he collapsed on top of him and Red felt a wetness on their stomachs.

Purple made slight noise, Red couldn't tell if it was in interest or irritation, and he lifted himself up enough to look between them. Red looked too. There was a clear substance between them. Curious, Red touched it and upon further inspection saw small specks of green in the clear almost-gel stuff. Looking down Red saw the same clear fluid coating their still, but entwined organs. Purple sat back on his knees, his legs were twitching and he had more fluid on his thighs. Purple was also looking at the released substance on their stomachs and didn't notice what Red was doing until he felt it.

His eyes flashed down as Red's fingers slid along the underside of his male organ that had yet to retreat back inside. Red stopped his fingers when he felt beyond Purple's male part and found that the skin kept spreading. There was more slickness and just under his fingers he felt Purple's muscles twitch. Red knew from the vid that this was the entrance to the internal female part. Red moved his fingers a little farther, unable to see it with Purple's thighs closed; warmth and then a dip. Gently exploring, Red moved his fingers, knowing that there was an opening... _there._ His fingertip dipped in and Purple gasped. Red immediately stopped and looked up.

Purple's antennae were forward, his eyes glazed and focused onto him. He didn't look upset or uncertain and he hadn't pulled away. "The vid said it was good form to stimulate both organs," Red said carefully, "With hands, tongue, or PAK."

Without word, Purple grabbed both of Red's antennae messaged the base. Red shuddered as the pleasurable jolting feelings coursed through his body, starting from his head all the way down to his toes. It made his male organ, which had been out but not moving, start to twitch and wiggle. Purple wrapped his fingers around Red's antennae and began stroking. Red purred in pleasure at the sensations and had to work hard to hear Purple when he spoke.

"Only you, Red," he murmured and flexed his hips slightly to move against Red's fingers.

Even with having his antennae touched so wonderfully, sending good feelings along his skin and wrapping him in Purple's scent, he was able to focus on what his hand was doing. He eased his two fingers to the dip and lightly touched the outside of Purple's female part. The slickness that coated their male parts was also coming from the female one and soon Red's fingers were coated. With anything else he might have found the sensation gross, but hearing Purple's small encouraging hums and moans as Red moved his fingers around the edge and just slightly into the entrance, gathering the slickness on his fingers, felt just as good as Purple was making him feel through his antennae.

Every time Red dipped in, he could feel muscles twitch and Purple's breathing hitched a little, when he pulled away Purple moaned. He kept up this patterned until Purple tightened his grip on his antennae and hissed at him in frustration.

"Will you stop that and just go in all ready? _Irk,_ " Purple cursed. "I'm going to bite your antennae if you keep that up."

Purple's glazed eyes narrowed at him and Red paused just at the edge again. When Purple looked like he was about to shout at him, Red slipped inside. Purple's eyes screwed shut as his face scrunched up; he whimpered. Afraid that the vid had lied and this was painful, Red tried to move his hand away, but Purple lashed out to grab it.

"Don't you dare," Purple glared at him. "No more teasing."

"It feels good?" Red asked not sure.

"Like an antennae," Purple rasped as he flexed his hips to brush and move against the two fingers Red had just inside the female opening.

Encouraged by that answer, Red moved his fingers. Inside he felt ridges that twitched and convulsed at his touch. Purple leaned forward to rest his head on his shoulder. He stroked Red's antennae rubbing the ends between his fingers as Red breathed in ragged bursts. His organ was back to moving, wanting attention, and it was hard to ignore it with Purple touching his antennae and breathing on his neck. Red uttered Purple's name as the sweet sent filled the air again. Purple's legs moved apart, letting Red move his hand more freely and at slightly different angles. He was able to push his fingers deeper and Purple's pleased sounds continued.

Every sound Purple made had Red panting. He moved his fingers inside of Purple, applying pressure at different spots, rubbing the ridges and moving back and forth. Purple hissed, moaned, and purred to Red's movement as he went in deeper until he bumped into flesh that had Purple jerking his hips. He'd reached the end of Purple's female part and his long fingers traced the edges of the fleshy spot.

"Red," Purple breathed his name, sending chills down Red's antennae. Red lightly pushed and rubbed against that spot and Purple's muscles tightened around his fingers. "More," Purple demanded and grabbed his face to push their mouths together. His tongue pushed past Red's lips to coil around his tongue. Red loved it when his tongue was squeezed like that and he tried to say Purple's name, but it came out as a moan. Purple moved and pressed his body towards Red so his fingers could touch more.

They tasted each other as Purple moved against Red's hand, pressing down harder so Red could rub that one spot repeatedly. Then Purple broke away from Red's mouth and his eyelids slipped shut as he leaned back. Purple hissed in pleasure as Red felt him tighten around his fingers, immobilizing them. Purple's muscles twitched and Red watched his mate's face as the sweet scent saturated the air and he knew Purple was feeling the release of pressure from his female part, much in the same way they did from their male parts.

After a few breaths Purple's muscles relaxed and Red was able to withdraw his fingers. Purple sighed and shivered at the sensation. Red's two long fingers were completely coated with slickness and the sight has his male part twitch with the need for friction. He thought of what it would feel like to have his male part inside of Purple, rubbing against him and being coated in that slickness. Without thinking, Red wrapped his slick hand around his part and stroked. The warm slickness felt so very good and his part twitched and wiggled in his grasp.

He looked up to see Purple watching him with half-lidded, glazed eyes and squeezed himself to mimic the pressure he felt around his fingers. It felt so good and watching Purple watch him...it only seemed to add to all the sensations, like Purple's gaze was creating pressure and increasing the pleasure. Red reached out and slid his free hand along Purple's cheek and up behind his head to capture an antenna.

"Red," Purple leaned into the touch. "Move your hand from your organ."

"I can't," Red said a bit breathless. He needed the friction, he needed it or else he would go crazy. But he couldn't help himself from touching his mate, his Purple. He _needed_ to touch Purple, needed him close.

Purple clicked his tongue and shifted so he was sitting in Red's lap. He grabbed Red's wrist and moved his hand to press their male parts together. Once they touched Red gasped as they twisted together, but he missed the pressure from before and wrapped his slick fingers around both their organs. Purple gasped at the touch and pressed their mouths together. Their antennae sought out each other and Red moved his hand from Purple's head down to caress his back. Purple's fingers curled around Red's head, keeping their mouths locked.

As before, the combined sensations of tasting with tongues, being wrapped in each others' sweet scent and the friction and pressure being applied to their sensitive male parts had their minds in a frenzy of physical touch. Red couldn't tell if the pleased hums and moans were his or his mate's, the sensory center of his PAK was being overloaded and this incredible emotion began to grow inside him. It made him feel fantastic, amazing, and very, very happy; Purple made him feel these things, Purple was everything, his everything, his mate, his...his... _his_.

The pressure built up to a cresting peak and Red felt them both shudder with the release. Small waves of pleasure ran through his body as his organ pulsed against Purple's. Their breaths mingled as their minds began to clear. Slowly Purple untangled his antennae from Red's so he could rest his head on Red's shoulder, this seemed like a good idea so Red did the same. They both shivered as their spent and now overtly sensitive male parts withdrew back into their bodies.

Red was much more aware of it this time and he could feel the skin protecting his male organ tighten and firm to match the rest of his skin. Looking down, he could only see the thin line and knew that even if he pressed it, the skin would not part as it had before. A quick glance confirmed that Purple's parts were equally protected. The only sign left from their mating was the slickness coating their skin and the couch under them. They were going to have to clean that before Mik came back. No doubt if the medic saw it he would want a sample, which Red would never allow. It was part of their mating, proof that Purple wanted to mate with him and he'd kill any Irken that tried to take that from him.

A sudden and confusing thought popped into Red's head, "Did that count as mating?"

"What?" Purple asked, still recovering from the intense sensations. He leaned back to look at Red in a 'what-the-Irk-are-you-talking-about' sort of way.

Red felt his cheeks tint with a slight blue, "I mean, we didn't do anything that would make smeets, right? So, are we mates now or not?"

Purple squinted one questioning eye at Red and then narrowed both of them, "Are you implying that since we didn't connect our opposite gendered parts that it didn't count?" Purple grabbed both of Red's antennae and gripped them harshly making him wince. "You are mine," Purple growled. "I don't care if it counts as a mating or not, the only Irken that can touch your male organ or antennae is me."

Red's eyes widened and he quickly spoke to reassure Purple that he didn't meant it like that and Purple reluctantly let go of Red's antennae. "I just was wondering if I could call you my mate yet or not. And also..." Red trailed off and looked away from Purple's still suspicious gaze. "If it didn't count as mating do you think we could do that more even after we make a smeet?" He glanced back to see the anger fade from Purple's face, and his co-leader grinned wickedly.

"We're the Tallest. We can do whatever we want. And besides," Purple added his expression turning dark and Red felt chills run down his spine. If his organ wasn't so exhausted he knew it would be twitching again. "The Control Brains have other things to worry about. What we do during our time alone is the least of their concerns."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Needless to say Purple isn't embarrassed about mating anymore. He wants what he wants, and he wants Red. 
> 
> It was really important for me when writing that just because I wrote Purple as the "bottom" he by no means submissive. The Tallest, while lazy and arrogant, are the most powerful Irkens in the Empire. They didn't survive this long easily. Both of them when they get serious can be very intense and scary. It is a well known fact among the crew of the Massive that the most important thing is to keep the Tallest happy and entertained. Bored or angry Tallest mean bad times for everyone. 
> 
> For Purple in particular I wanted to keep with the personality I'd built for him. The only time he'd ever be submissive to Red is by choice and with the full understanding that he would be doing so FOR Red not because he viewed Red as dominant over him. They are mostly equals in this sense. ('mostly' because Purple tends to be more aggressive and dominating as their relationship progresses, but not because he views Red as submissive. Purple just has a hard time of letting go control) 
> 
> The upcoming chapters have lots of sexy times in them as the Tallest figure out their bodies and how well they fit together. Also I try not to use 'human' words like kissing or sex because they aren't terms the Tallest would be familiar with. They refer to their genitals as 'organs' because thats how they were labeled in the beginning as 'reproductive organs'.


	18. Union

Mik shifted from foot to foot nervously as he stood outside the doors leading to the Control Brains. He was weighing his options and still wasn't sure which one was worse. Either he could follow through with Tallest Purple's demands or he could go back and tell his Tallest that he was not going to do it. One option was definitely going to cast the entire Empire into chaos and get him thrown out the air lock; the other had a high chance of casting the Empire into chaos and getting him deactivated. The second option had a very slim chance of success, which is why he was standing in front of the Control Brain doors.

Eventually, Mik gathered up all the courage he could and stepped forward into the Control Brains room. Upon sensing his arrival the three Control Brains hummed to life and light up.

" _Representative Mik_ ," the left brain said and, " _You have news to report?_ "

"Um," Mik rung his hands nervously as he went over in his head the carefully worded speech he had put together. After going into depth about all his reasoning and all the research he had hastily put together he would tell them what Tallest Purple wanted him to do.

 _"Well_?" the center one pressed.

"You need to re-write the PAK code," Mik blurted then clamped his hands over his mouth and flattened his antennae.

The lights adorning the Control Brains turned red and Mik felt the air in the room become heavy. " _Explain_."

Mik let out a squeak of relief, that he had suggested such a thing was an act of treason, yet the Control Brains were allowing him to speak instead of just deactivating him for the act of betrayal. "It is encoded for every Irken that they belong to the Irken Empire and are loyal to their Empire, the Tallest and the Control Brains; that they are property of the Irken Empire and—"

" _-Incorrect!_ " boomed the center Control Brain. " _Irkens are loyal to the Empire and are ruled by the Empire but are not property of the Empire. PAKs are property of the Irken Empire, created by the us to improve and stabilize the Irken race. Those deemed traitors or unworthy of PAKs are considered defective and will have the PAKs removed. What happens to the body is of no importance to the Empire."_

"B-But we need the PAKs to live," Mik said in confusion.

" _Yes, which is why loyalty is necessary_."

"I see," Mik said shaken, but thoughtful. "Can it be possible for two Irkens to belong to each other, to claim loyalty to each other above all over Irkens?" Mik asked carefully.

The lights on the Control Brains returned to a neutral blue. " _You speak of a Union._ "

"What?"

 _"A Union,_ " the Control Brain repeated. "I _t is an ancient Irken tradition. After reviewing the data from the banished Irken, Zim, We have been conducting research into very old data banks on Irken traditions that existed pre-PAK and were eventually phased out when they were no longer necessary. However, since the PAKs have had their reproductive inhibitors turned off, We thought it prudent to recall data from ancient Irken times."_

"Is there any data on mating rituals and behaviors?" Mik asked eagerly.

 _"No_ ," the Control Brain said making Mik wilt. " _Only official proceedings and legal contracts were found in the old data bases. Of which, was one such process that bound two Irken together. A Union_ ," the Control Brain said as if reading from a document. _"Is a legal and documented assimilation of two consenting and mated Irkens into one being. This holds that should one Irken inflict harm upon their other half they would be declared outcast. It also holds that no other Irken is allow to join with one of the halves as only half an Irken is not fit to mate. Further holding states that should another Irken bring harm to one half the other half is in full rights to eliminate the threat as an attack to one half is an attack to the whole. Furthest holding, states that should one half fail to protect or defend the other half due to negligence or intent, the failing half will be considered outcast. Exception would be if one half was to perish and the living half is deemed not responsible for the half's death, then the living half will be allowed rights to revenge and will be excused of all prior duties until the revenge has been fulfilled."_

 _"Now,"_ the left Control Brain said, _"we will determine if you should be declared defective because of your suggestion to alter PAK data."_

Before Mik could explain or talk his way out of it, a tendril from the right Control Brain snuck around and attached to his PAK. Mik was lifted up as the Control Brain forced its way into Mik's mind and found the memories recently recorded with Tallest Purple, in which Tallest Purple ordered that he arrange for the Control Brains to alter his and Tallest Red's PAK data so that they were not property of the Empire, but instead belonged to each other. The sensation was highly unpleasant, like his insides were being put on display and he was being turn inside out, yet all manner of speech had been disabled leaving Mik with his mouth open in a soundless scream.

In what felt like eons, but had only been moments Mik was set back on the ground and his PAK was released. He collapsed onto the cold and soothing metal ground, panting and waiting for his mind to regain itself and realize that he was whole and not on fire.

The Control Brains hummed thoughtfully. " _It seems that the desire for a Union with a mate is deeply engraved into an Irken's instinct. We will accept Tallest Purple's request for a Union under the terms that it does not interfere with his and Tallest Red's ability to be the Tallest. After they have successfully mated bring them before us and we will conduct a Union."_

"Y-Yes, thank you," Mik struggled to his feet and weakly wiggled his antennae in salute before quickly leaving the room. He thought about going straight back the the Tallest Chambers, but thinking of what happened last time, he sent a private message to Tallest Purple that he would receive the next time he picked up a reader. Then Mik stumbled back to his temporary resting space, attached to the lab, and collapsed into a sleep-cycle.

* * *

They sat on the couch leisurely eating the newest snacks and going over the readers send in. Red was on one end of the couch and Purple on the other, their legs casually intertwined. Purple was fully absorbed in his reader, but Red kept sneaking glances at his co-Tallest and mate. Everything that they had recently done kept replaying over in his head and one word overlapped everything: _Mine._ The perfect specimen of Irken superiority and strength was laying completely vulnerable before him and all that green flesh, the length of his black antennae and his deep purple eyes all belonged to him. This knowledge felt so right one moment then too perfect in the next, which had Red feeling compelled to check and make sure Purple was still there.

His antennae twitching, Purple put down the reader and narrowed his eyes at Red, "What?" he asked irritably.

"What?" Red repeated blinking in surprise.

Purple's eyes narrowed further. "Will you stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm a giant donut."

Red stared, his mouth salivating at the thought. "Are there giant donuts?"

"No," Purple snapped and twisted to fully face Red, in doing so he pulled up his legs and Red felt disappointed at the lack of contact. "What were you thinking about?"

"Mating," Red answered honestly.

"Oh," most of the anger left Purple as a slight blue tint appeared on his face. "Later, I want to eat and finish these," he gestured to the readers. "Besides I'm waiting for—oh," Purple cut himself off as his eyes glanced down to the reader in his hands. Ignoring Red, he tapped on it and read. After a short moment a twisted and triumphant smile appeared on his face. "Later," Purple repeated. "We will mate later. First, let's eat snacks, as much as we want to. Lets gorge ourselves and then soak in the gel."

"What did you read?" Red asked curious as to what put Purple in a sudden good mood.

"A report," Purple said simply. "Things are going well, we should celebrate."

Red nodded. He saw nothing wrong with Purple's plans. Snacking, soaking, relaxing and then mating; he saw nothing wrong with that plan at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but the next is longer. 
> 
> Under normal circumstances the knowledge that Tallest Purple threatened a mutiny would be a great cause for concern and get the Tallest in a lot of trouble. However, given the current situation the Control Brains that this new information in a favorable light. It means that the Tallest are becoming closely bonded and that their plans for them to make a smeet will soon come to fruition. Also the Control Brains are researching into their archives and are finding examples of past Irken practices and the 'Union' they speak of fits along with Irken ideals nicely. Also it doesn't threaten their power. 
> 
> My poor baby Mik is getting terrorized by both the Tallest and the Control Brains. Unfortunately his anxieties aren't going to lessen either. My poor, little, naive medic is going to be put through the ringer in the up coming days.


	19. The First Time

Purple was having a hard time sticking to his plan. They stuffed themselves, eating everything then used the readers to send a message for another round. They stuffed themselves again on fresh donuts, Irken sandwiches and lots of snacks. The first few minutes after gorging made them feel lazy and sleepy, perfect for soaking. It didn't take long, however, to convert the sugar into energy and this was where Purple was having trouble.

They were currently lounging in the gel tub in his cleansing room. The plan was to soak and relax, but with the way Red kept looking at him...it was difficult to relax. He wanted just lay back, close his eyes and let the warm gel sooth him, but every time he closed his eyes he could almost _feel_ Red's eyes traveling over his body. It made his skin tingle and his spooch twist in that unpleasant-but-pleasant way. It was taking a lot of willpower to keep his antennae still and back. Earlier, he had been able to endure much more from Red and not react. So, he was not about to admit that just by having his mate and co-Tallest _look_ at him, he was starting to feel the tingling in his organs.

He was going to stick to what he said no matter what. They would finish relaxing and _then_ they would mate again. He had to be able to at least sit with Red and keep his mind away from his co-Tallest, otherwise they'd never be able to get anything done when they took up all their duties again. Mik said in the private message he'd sent that the Control Brains agreed to his terms as long as he and Red continued being the superior and amazing leaders that they were. He could not afford to be so distracted by Red's gaze. There would have to be a time and place for such things. He did not want any other Irken to smell Red's scent or see that possessive look in his mate's eyes. Any mating activity, like tasting, would have to wait until there were no other Irkens around. And if Purple couldn't even wait until they got out of the cleansing tub, how was he going to be able to sit next to Red in their ruling chambers?

So...he sat, outwardly following what he said they should do, but internally he was _far_ from relaxed.

"Hey, Pur," Red's voice almost echoed in the smaller room, bouncing off the gel and wrapping around him. There was a hint of mischievousness in Red's tone. Usually that meant Red had an idea that was going to be great fun for them and very unfortunate for someone else... like a surprise inspection. However, Purple doubted Red had something like that on his mind.

"Hmm?" Purple said keeping his eyes on the ceiling and trying to sound like he was relaxed. What did a relaxed voice sound like again? It certainly didn't have the tight tone his voice did, making his 'hmm' sound more like a squeak.

"Are you relaxed?" Red asked.

"Oh, yes, the most relaxed I've ever been," Purple said rather quickly.

"Good, do you want to get out now?"

Purple looked at Red. He saw the possessive, hungry way his mate was looking at him. He also had a small smile, his antennae fell forward and without thinking Purple's did the same. There was a sweet smell in the air, Red's scent. The scent made his tongue twist in his mouth, eager to taste that scent on Red's skin. The red eyes Purple was so used to seeing were darker than normal, but they held a hint of amusement. Red knew very well that Purple was just as relaxed as he was, which was not at all.

Reaching a hand up Purple smoothed back his antennae and sat up a little straighter. "Yes, I'm done relaxing," Purple said his thoughts mirroring Red's on what they should be doing next. He hoisted himself up out of tub and left his personal room into the common space. He didn't look to see if Red would follow, he knew Red would. Purple took a step towards the couch, but Red caught him with an arm around his waist.

"We just had the computer clean the couch," Red murmured into his antennae, and his tongue flicked along one stalk making Purple gasp. Red wrapped his other arm around, holding him close. "And we already mated in the cleansing room, _your_ cleansing room, I want to try someplace different."

Red's fingers rested on his hips and Purple's PAK was snugly nestled against Red's chest. Red nibbled on one of Purple's antenna and the other one leaned to brush against one of Red's antenna. Reaching back to Red's head, Purple rolled the base of Red's stalk between his two fingers making Red moan, the sound vibrating along Purple's antennae.

"Where were you thinking?" Purple asked not seeing many places in the room besides the floor. They had a few chairs hovering around, but they weren't big enough for two Tallest to sit on.

"My room?" Red said with just enough inflection to make it sound like a question.

Purple nodded, Red didn't have much more furniture than he did, but they could find something, or they could go into Red's cleansing room. Oh, Red had a bed they could sit on too, it was much more comfortable than the floor.

Red let go so they could walk inside his room without tripping over each others' legs. They entered and Purple heard a distinct locking _beep_ from the door, he turned to give Red a puzzled look.

"Just in case," Red shrugged. "Your lock is broken."

Purple understood instantly. There was only one Irken that could enter their chambers and the lock would give them enough time to shout death threats at the shorter until he left them alone. "Smart," Purple said in approval.

"Yes, I am," Red agreed with a grin as he stepped closer. Red brushed two fingers along the side of Purple's face and Purple welcomed the touch. He slid his hands over Red's torso, appreciating the feel of a perfect Irken's body. Red's two fingers trailed up along the back of Purple's head and were joined by two more as he circled Purple's antennae. The light touches long his head made Purple's antennae tingle with anticipation of being touched. He needed to be touched and leaned them towards Red, an unspoken command.

Obliging, Red leaned forward and curled his tongue around one stalk as his fingers massaged the base. The soothing and pleasant touches sent sparks down Purple's spine to his lower spooch where his muscles began to twitch and his internal reproductive organs activated. Appreciating the touches, Purple scratched his fingers down the edges of Red's PAK and the sensitive skin there. Red trembled and hissed at the pleasant sensations.

He wanted more skin contact, and Purple pulled Red close until their bodies pressed against each other. Red let go of Purple's antennae and Purple tiled his head back up to stare into his mate's deep red eyes.

 _Mine_.

Purple wasn't sure if the word was spoken aloud or not as his mouth became busy tasting Red's. Their tongues twisted together pulling and gliding against each other. The sweet scent filled the air and their antennae brushed together to alleviate the intense itching they both felt. Hands roamed over backs and sides, each of them touching whatever they could. Possessive hunger filling them both with the need to touch, taste, and bite. Red nuzzled Purple's neck, biting with sharp teeth. The sting was mild next to the sensation of his mate's tongue lapping over the wound and tasting the flavor of his blood, tasting the essence of himself, the blood strong with his scent and flavor. The wound was nothing, it would heal completely soon enough, so Purple made one of his own when Red lifted his head to lick along his jaw.

Red tightened his hold around Purple reveling in the feeling of Purple tasting him as he had tasted Purple. Small pains were good, necessary, it fueled the hunger and the need to possess each other. Purple sighed with pleasure as he licked Red's neck. With the sweet tang of Irken blood on his tongue, their mouths met again. They tasted their blood on each others' lips and the small wounds sealed, soon there wouldn't even be a mark.

He wasn't even aware that they had been moving, until Purple felt the bed hit the back of his knees. Red pushed forward and Purple could either trip or move onto the plush surface. He moved, crawling backwards and Red followed crawling over him, not breaking their mouths apart until they were both on the soft bed. Purple had to admit that it was much more comfortable sitting down with all the extra room.

"Lay back," Red ordered pulling his tongue out of Purple's mouth. "I want to taste you again."

"You were just tasting me," Purple pointed out.

"I want to taste you all over and lower," Red said ghosting his fingers over Purple's hips. "Like before."

Remembering how that felt Purple readily complied and he settled back down into the bed, the softness easily giving way so his PAK fit comfortably. "Give me your antennae," Purple ordered in turn.

Red crawled over Purple and stared down at him. It was the look he had been given him in the cleansing room. Red grinned victoriously down at him, "My game first," he said and before Purple could move Red released his PAK coils and clamped the ends around Purple's wrists pinning them above his head.

Purple stared at the clamps, then his eyes flashing in anger and he turned his gaze back to Red. "That's not fair," he hissed. "My PAK is still disabled."

"I know," Red grinned mischievously, knowing there was nothing Purple could do to release himself. Anger wasn't what he wanted however, so he leaned close to lick his mate's cheek, but he had to quickly move to avoid being bit. "Be mine, Pur," Red urged, "Let me play my game. You can have your turn after."

Purple's anger eased away at Red's words. This would be just as it was before, but instead of restraining himself so Red could touch freely, Red would be restraining him. Purple understood the desire to completely dominate the other and he didn't mind being Red's property, as long as he got his turn.

Easing back Purple relaxed his tense muscles, his antennae fell back, submitting to Red. This response fueled the possessiveness in Red's eyes and the color darkened as Red whispered, " _Mine._ "

Red licked Purple's cheek and this time his mate didn't try to bite him. Purple tasted sweet and his scent filled the air, wrapping around Red's antennae. He crawled over Purple's prone and vulnerable form. There was nothing Purple could do to fight against him, he was completely under Red's control, and Purple was being submissive by choice. It was thrilling. Red had free range to touch, to taste, so he did. The slight quivers, the hisses of approval, and the near-moans made Red's antennae buzz in excitement.

But he wanted more, he wanted Purple panting, moaning, his mating sounds filling up the room. He moved up and lightly picked up one of Purple's antenna. Delicately he ran his fingers over the stalk rubbing the smooth end between his fingers. Purple made the desired pleased sounds and his other antennae rubbed against Red's hand, seeking similar treatment. Instead Red coiled his tongue around the stalk, pulling it into his mouth where he teased and tasted the sensitive end. Then he switched, taking the other antennae into his mouth while he stroked the saliva covered stalk.

"Red," Purple breathed his name and hooked one leg around Red's waist to pull him close so he could grind their hips together. His organ wasn't out yet, but it was close.

Letting go of Purple's antennae Red moved lower, unhooking Purple's leg. His mate watched him with glazed eyes as Red licked the joint of his hip and lightly bit the skin. Purple's hips jerked in response, "More," he demanded.

Chuckling, Red obliged him and bit harder, circling his tongue around the bite mark. He bit a little lower and before he could do much else Purple's male organ slipped out between the parted skin. Red was a bit disappointed as he has wanted to coax it out. Next time he would have to stimulate Purple's antennae less before moving lower.

The dark purple organ twitched and wiggled seeking something to rub against, needing friction and movement to get release. Red's tongue was still out, slightly surprised by it's sudden appearance, and Purple's organ bumped into it. Instantly, Purple groaned and tried to move his hips closer as the organ tried to curl around Red's thin tongue.

Curious Red wrapped his tongue around it and squeezed. Purple gasped loudly, arching his back. "R-Red, that feels...really good."

Red hummed with interest. The organ was already slick and he knew that it was sensitive to touch and pressure like their antennae. He trailed his fingers over the base and slid his tongue along the length. Purple shuddered and moaned, encouraging Red to continue, which Red was more than happy to. There was something so entirely satisfying seeing Purple squirm and pant, moaning at every touch. _He_ was making his mate react this way, _he_ was making Purple, _his_ Purple, feel good. The sweet scent was so strong Red could feel it on his skin, it was directly in response to _him_ and how _he_ was making Purple feel. Purple's body was responding to _him,_ wanting to mate with _him,_ and it made Red feel like the most powerful Irken in history.

He wanted more. He wanted Purple, all of Purple. Slowly. Deliberately. Red moved his other hand, placing it on Purple's inner thigh, and trailed up. He kept squeezing and touching Purple's male part, sometimes teasing the parted skin at the base which made Purple push his hips forward as his muscles twitched. Instead of touching the male part, Red slipped his other hand lower. The further parted skin was slick, the fluids darkening the fabric of Red's sheets. With one quick glance up he met Purple's darkened eyes, the heat, the want, the possessiveness he saw there made Red shiver. Keeping eye contact, Red slipped his finger into Purple's internal female part and his mate threw his head back, arching into the touch.

He pushed forward touching as much of the sensitive parts as he could on the way to the end of the female organ. When his finger reached the end Purple gasped, thrust his hips forward and wrapped one leg around the back of Red's head, shoving his male part past Red's parted lips. The organ twisted around in Red's mouth, rubbing against his tongue. The movement was much more frenzied than when their two organs rubbed together. It shoved past Red's tongue and Purple moaned loudly as his male organ hit the back of Red's throat.

The squirming intensified and pulsed as it tried to go as far down Red's throat as possible, which was making it hard to breathe. Red couldn't get Purple's leg off from around his head. Even when he slid his finger out to try and help pull off Purple's leg, the other one wrapped around Red's neck, locking him in place. Red wasn't afraid of choking, being Irken, he could hold his breath for a long time or his PAK could breath for him for a while. But he was loosing his control of their mating.

Before he could use his PAK extensions to pin Purple's legs, Purple somehow managed to slip out his hands from Red's PAK legs and he immediately grabbed Red's antennae, squeezing it at the base. Red's mind went momentarily blank from the sudden pressure, it wasn't painful, but it did narrow any sensory input to the twisting in his lower spooch. Any thoughts of restraining Purple left him.

"Red," Purple moaned. " _Irk_ , keep squeezing," he said mimicking what he wanted by lightly squeezing Red's antennae before stroking the stalks. Purple twisted the sensitive ends between his fingers before doing it all over again.

Red moaned around Purple's male part as he felt his own organ slip out. He coiled his tongue around Purple, squeezing and then without really thinking he sucked hard. Purple cried out, tugging a littler harder then he intended on Red's antennae and his legs tightened their grip around Red's head, driving his organ deeper down Red's throat. Red felt Purple's organ pulse and twitch and before either one of them could do anything about it, Purple released.

This time Red did feel like he was choking as he felt the organ release down his throat. Purple went completely tense and he cried out loudly in pleasure before he relaxed and gained enough sense to unwrap his legs from around Red's head. Red pulled away letting Purple's male part slide out of his mouth. He cough some of the substance up and Purple gave him a sheepish look.

"Sorry," he mumbled, a blue tint along his cheeks. He frowned in worry. "Do you think it's bad for your squeedily spooch? Smeets won't grow in there right?"

Red didn't answer until he felt himself breathe properly again. "If it was bad, they would have said so in the vid," he said though he still wasn't happy about loosing control in the last moment. "And I don't think smeets would grow like that, otherwise you being female-recessive wouldn't matter," Red said logically.

"Ah, right," Purple said a bit awkwardly. "So why are you still angry?"

"You broke the rules of my game," Red pouted.

"You didn't complain, you seemed to like the touching," Purple argued.

"I _couldn't_ complain with your organ in my throat."

Purple flushed blue and looked away. "I couldn't help it," he mumbled.

Remembering the glazed look in his mate's eyes, and the sounds Purple made Red scooted a little closer. "It felt that good?"

"Yeah," Purple said, his eyes going distant. "The feeling of your tongue and being completely surrounded like that, _Irk,_ " Purple shivered at the memory as his organ began to twitch slightly despite having just released. He glanced down at Red's untouched organ. "Did you want to try it?"

Red thought about it, he did want to see what that felt like, but there was something else he wanted to try out this time. If being surrounded felt that good, he wanted to feel surrounded, but he also wanted Purple to make more of those moaning mating sounds that made his antennae quiver. He touched the dark and slick spot on the sheet, drawing Purple's attention to it. "I want to try mating with your female part," Red said. "And it's still my turn."

"What?" Purple snapped his head up. "It's my turn this time, I get to possess you. You're mine," he hissed and pounced pushing Red onto his back.

Rolling, Red was able to switch their positions, "No, you broke free in the last moment. It's still my turn."

Purple shoved against Red's shoulders and slipped his knee up (carefully) to push against Red's stomach and kick him off before pouncing on him again, sitting on his abdomen and pinning his shoulders to the bed. "If you were too distracted and loosened your grip, that's not my fault. Besides, I wasn't thinking too much about that, I just needed to touch you."

Red stopped fighting and studied his mate, an idea forming. Reaching up he gripped Purple's hips and slid his two-fingered hands over, behind and down the back of his thighs. Purple's antennae fell forward at the touch and he lost much of the tension in his muscles, sensing that the fight was over.

"Touching is good," Red smiled slyly. "I like touching too," he said dragging one hand over a leg to brush against Purple's wiggling male organ. Purple leaned into the touch and eased up on Red's shoulders so he could touch Red's body more. "Come closer," Red purred, "I want to taste you."

Purple's glazed eyes peered down at him and his tongue flicked out to taste the sweet scent filling the air. He leaned over Red so their faces where just a breath away from each other, but before their mouths could meet Purple darted his tongue out to quickly lick his antennae. Red gasped at the unexpected and pleasant feeling and Purple took advantage of Red's open mouth to thrust his tongue in. It was difficult to take the lead at his angle, and having Purple gently rub the ends of his antennae between his fingers wasn't helping.

Two could play at this sneaky game. Red drifted the hand that was touching Purple's male part down a little lower and he traced the entrance to his female part. Purple shuddered and let out a pleased moan, which let Red take control of the tasting. Wrapping his tongue around Purple's he pushed forward into Purple's mouth. He swept his tongue around, claiming his mate's mouth, before pulling back. Purple panted and shivered at his ministrations as Red made sure to only touch the external parts and he only barely dipped his fingertips in. There was a lot of slickness and some began dripping down.

"Red," Purple braced his hands on either side of Red's head, his legs were shaking and he was struggling to keep up, all his legs wanted to do was collapse. The _need_ he felt in his internal parts was driving him crazy. He tried pushing down on Red's fingers, hoping to gain more touch, but Red just pulled them away keeping him on the edge of good feelings, but not giving him _the_ good feeling.

He hissed in frustrating down at Red, who just grinned at him. Purple narrowed his eyes, the look on Red's face was _not_ helping. Red wanted to make Purple his, and, _Irk,_ Purple wanted to belong to Red as much as he wanted Red to belong to him. "Will you just—," Purple cut off his breathy demands as he felt Red's fingers being replaced with something much more wiggly. Yet, still it was just the edge, just beyond where Purple needed to be touched.

"Pur, I want—,"

 _Enough_! Purple thought, having been on the edge of pleasure too long. He slammed down thrusting Red's male part deep inside his female one. They both made strained noises as the sensations were overwhelming. Red fingers had felt amazing, and they had touched many spots that sent jolts of pleasure through him, but Red's organ was touching and wiggling against _all_ of them. The tip was rubbing on and around the deepest part of him and it made his brain and PAK numb to all sensations besides the pleasure he was feeling.

Red forgot to breathe as he felt the warm slick walls pulse around his sensitive organ, which took on a life of its own. Red could now understand how Purple had felt earlier. The very tip of his organ was especially active touching as much of the inside end of Purple that he could. The warm slickness made it easy for his organ to wiggle around and rub against the inside flesh and apply pressure to his organ in the most delicious of ways.

Purple sat on Red's hips, the male organ fully inside him and being driven on by instinct, Purple began to rock, rolling his hips to help the wiggling organ shift around more inside him. Red immediately grabbed Purple's hips and helped with the grinding movements.

"Why didn't we... do this...earlier?" Red panted, wiggling more inside of Purple as he gazed at his mate. He noticed Purple's male part moving around, seeking attention.

"Wanted... to be sure," Purple said between breaths, rocking against Red. "That you would be m— _Ah,"_ Purple lost what he was saying as Red's hands surrounded his male organ. Red wrapped his fingers around him, alternatively squeezing and rubbing, making Purple's back arch. He forgot how to form words as the duel sensations overloaded his mind. His antennae were buzzing, vibrating as the scents bombarded him. Bolts of pleasure from both organs shocked his lower spooch, jolting it and building up an incredible feeling inside him. He felt himself squeeze Red tighter making them both cry out.

"P-Pur," Red said his name a little too loud. "I-I'm yours," he said, pleasure building inside him. He squeezed Purple harder and rocked his hips up with more intensity.

It took Purple a moment to understand Red's words as the very tip of Red was pressing, rubbing, and circling around his deepest part and it was making the good feelings build and build inside. The pleasurable release was coming and the feeling against both of his parts was making the pressure much more intense. He needed to release soon, he needed Red. He wanted Red. "I'm yours, Red," Purple gasped out, or at least he think he was able to say it. It was hard to form words at this point.

Red squeezed Purple's male organ one last time and the pleasurable feelings coursed through him and his release came. Purple's male organ shivered and twitched as it released its fluids. A moment later, he felt the deepest part give way just a little more so Red's tip could wiggle into that deep part. Purple's insides clamped around Red's organ, and the tip was firmly trapped. As soon as that tip nudged in farther, Purple cried out as the good feelings crested. His female part convulsed, squeezing. Red's pleasured shout came soon after as Purple felt the male organ shiver with release.

The good and pleasurable feelings coursed through them. Their backs went rigid and Red's PAK legs popped out latching onto Purple's hips and shoulders, holding Purple immobile as Red thrust his hips up off the bed driving himself as far into Purple as he could go, and since the end of Purple's female part had opened up a little more, his male organ had gone in just a little farther to release the mating fluid.

The jolting pleasure came in shockwave after shockwave making Red relax only to tense a moment longer as another wave of pleasure and release came over him. Purple's body was doing the same, relaxing just enough for Red's wiggling tip to push forward just a bit more, causing another peak of pleasure from the slight movement and then he would squeeze down on Red again, causing his release. It happened all very quickly, barely a second or two passing between each new wave of pleasure.

Finally when it seemed that another shockwave of pleasure would be too much, Red's wiggling tip began to retreat and Purple's female part eased back, sealing that deeper part back up. Red's organ was still inside, but it wasn't wiggling and Purple sagged against Red's PAK legs, the only thing keeping him upright.

Their eyes met and even so exhausted they recognized that something shifted between them. They belonged to each other fully. No matter what happened in the future the other would always come first before all other Irkens. Too tired to say it, their eyes spoke the word between them. _Mine_.

Red eased his PAK legs down and Purple collapsed on top of him. They shivered as Red's spent organ retreated out of Purple and withdrew. Purple shivered a second time as his male organ did the same. Their legs were a bit too unstable for either of them to move so they stayed on Red's bed with Purple's limbs entangled with his own. Neither one minded the position and they let their bodies recharge and recover enough until they could move again.

When Purple gained enough strength he rolled off of Red and turned to regard his mate. "That was intense."

Red nodded.

Purple closed his eyes. " _Irk,_ if we do that every time neither one of us will be much use as Tallest," he said though there was a very satisfied smile on his face.

"Let's not do a full mating every time," Red agreed. "We can save it for special occasions."

"Like Probing Day," Purple suggested.

Red thought about calling all the Invaders and inspecting them, being entertained by their successes and their failures, since it meant they got to pummel them (their favorite part). Then he thought about being able to fully inspect his mate's body afterwards. He shuddered, pleasure rippled through him at the thought, but luckily his organ remained still.

"Deal," Red said. "But not just on Probing Day," he wanted to do that more than _just_ on Probing Day.

"I'm sure we can come up with a special occasion when we want to," Purple smirked.

"We can do anything we want," Red grinned back, tilting his head to the side so it lightly rested against Purple's. "We're the Tallest."

"Mmm," Purple hummed in agreement.

"When do we have to tell Mik?" Red asked after a moment of silence, they had fully mated, which meant Mik needed to check about smeets.

Purple shrugged. "Let's wait another cycle or two. That way we can do the less intense mating for a while longer before Mik gets all annoying again. Besides, I think he's getting nervous about us making a smeet. I like making him nervous."

Red chuckled and moved to have more contact with Purple. "That's mean. I like it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness they discovered so much this chapter! Red finally got some, and Purple got a blow job! 
> 
> Ah, the Tallest are so mean. They finally mated yet they have no intention of telling Mik about it. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed teh sex scene ;) More to come!


	20. Mik's Sanity

It occurred to Purple, about two cycles after their full mating, that he had never initiated a mating with Red. They had only mated fully that one time, but in the past two cycles they had mated several times with their male parts. Sometimes Red would catch him staring, and then he would touch Purple and they would mate. But it was always Red that touched him first, touched antennae first or tasted first. Thinking about it made Purple feel like he was losing in some competition, one that he was entered in but then forgot about.

Frowning, Purple stared down in thought at the snacks before him. The next batch with readers had arrived and he offered to go get them as Red fetched the last batch. Purple picked up a reader and was momentarily distracted from his thought by the annoying _ding-_ ing coming from the reader. Once his hand touched it, it recognized his bio-signature and immediately downloaded all his personally addressed messages.

Mik had sent him ten 'NOT-READING-THIS-COULD-BE-FATAL' urgent messages, which gave off this annoying sound until he opened them. Scowling at the screen Purple flicked his finger along all of them to open them and stop the antennae-grating sounds. He barely looked at the messages, already knowing what they said. Dropping the reader back on the tray, Purple brought the snacks out to the common area.

"Don't touch the reader," Purple warned, setting down the snacks. "It's just messages from Mik."

Red stopped his hand just above the reader and instead moved to grab a donut. He took a bite before speaking. "Shouldn't we contact him soon? I'm surprised he hasn't tried to come here in person."

"It's only a matter of time," Purple agreed with a sigh as he sat down next to his mate and co-Tallest. Red peered down at Purple's reader, reading the open messages as he continued to snack. Purple watched him read and was once again struck by how strongly he felt for him. He felt such possessiveness towards Red, but there was protectiveness too. He would do anything to protect Red, to keep him by his side. There was also this odd warm feeling he felt around Red. It wasn't as strong as the possessive feeling, but Purple liked this feeling more. Everything just seemed slightly better with Red next to him. Snacks tasted better, work was less tedious, funny things were funnier and he just felt happier. It was good. Red was good.

Feeling content, Purple leaned against Red, resting his head on Red's shoulder while he gazed down at the snacks. Choosing a chip bag, Purple popped it open, taking a few for himself then holding out the bag so Red could have some. Pleased by the offering, Red took a handful and lowered his donut so Purple could have a bite. They snacked for a while until Red finally took a reader and had to open all of Mik's messages so the dinging stopped.

"We really should contact him," Red said after closing all the messages pleading for their response and begging for news of any progress they made.

"Hmm," Purple said in a neutral tone, "After."

"After what?" Red asked.

In answer Purple tilted his head to lick the underside of Red's jaw. It was time to even up the score. It started with tasting; tongues entwined, mouths locks, which led to their antennae rubbing against each other. Purple straddled Red on the couch, taking the lead as they almost feverishly touched each other. Soon both their male parts were out and pressed together, but before they could gain too much friction Purple pulled away.

"I have something important to say," Purple said sitting back on Red's thighs. During their tasting he managed to push Red down on the couch so he could straddle him.

"What?" Red asked his eyes slightly glazed as his hands roamed over Purples legs, waist and anywhere Red could reach.

"I spoke with Mik two cycles ago."

This made Red pause and listen as it was not what he had been expecting Purple to say.

"He went to the Control Brains with a request, and the Control Brains agreed," Purple leaned down and trailed his tongue along Red's lips. "They are going to acknowledge us as mates, and imprint it in our PAKs so we will officially belong to each other."

Red's eyes widened, "R-Really?"

Purple leaned back and gave his mate a sly smile, please by his reaction. "Yes, once we tell Mik we've mated, you will be mine and I will be yours. In the Control Brain's data we will officially have possession of each other."

Red's astonishment turned into a wide smile.

"Wouldn't you say this was a special occasion?" Purple asked grinning down at Red.

It didn't take long for Red to catch on and he copied Purple's smile. "Very special," he agreed and tilted his antennae to meet Purple's. Their antennae intertwined and they tasted each other's tongue and mouth, just relishing in the sensations. Purple shifted and Red's male part began to wiggle against the outside of his female opening. This time Purple slowly lowered, Red's hands on his thighs helping him move. Both of them gasped and shivered as all their pleasure-sensitive areas were stimulated. Purple sat flush against Red's hips and Red's wiggling organ circled around the deeper section, rubbing against the sealed opening. Red moaned and shifted under Purple, causing more internal friction, making Purple responded in kind.

The internal sensation was amazing, but Purple's male part was wiggling around and feeling extremely needy. He began touching it, but it wasn't enough. He needed to feel Red. He wanted to feel Red.

"Red," Purple panted as he rocked against his mate. "My male part."

Red didn't need much more explanation and he wrapped one hand around the squirming organ. He was rewarded with a pleased hiss from Purple. Red's tongue flicked out, tasting the sweet scent in the air. It was proof that Purple was his mate and he couldn't get enough of the sweet smell. Knowing from their last full mating that the tip of the male part liked being lightly squeezed, he rubbed Purple's end between his two fingers.

Purple cried out with a jolt and Red felt Purple's inner parts give way, letting his male organ slip further inside. As the small internal opening tightened around the end of his male organ Red did the same and squeezed Purple's tip. Purple gripped the fabric of the couch and pressed himself down hard on Red's hips.

"Oh, _Irk,_ " Purple rasped as he released the mating fluid from his male part. At the same time Purple's insides shuddered and Red cried out at the peak of his own pleasure and released his mating fluid inside of Purple. Like before there was a rapid squeezing around his tip and Red released multiple times inside of Purple, each wave of pleasure as intense as the first.

Red hissed Purple's name as the waves made it impossible to think and his awareness narrowed to the feeling of Purple tightening around him. Just when the feeling was becoming too much and his PAK felt like it would overload, the squeezing stopped and Red made his final release. Purple flopped down on top of him, just as exhausted as he was. They panted in silence for a moment, Purple's muscles twitching every so often, making Red twitch and hiss at the slight pressure, but he released no more fluid.

Thankfully Purple's female part loosened and Red's male organ withdrew as the deeper opening sealed once more. Purple pushed himself up and slowly lifted his hips. They both moaned as Red's organ slipped out and Purple re-flopped down next to Red on the couch, their bodies close and fitting perfectly next to one another. They shivered once more as their male parts withdrew back into their bodies, then they could truly relax as their bodies readjusted. Senses returned to normal and the sensitivity diminished to nothing, as did the sweet scent in the air.

"We should clean up and contact Mik," Purple mumbled. Now that his body wasn't over sensitive, it just felt lethargic and tired.

"Hmm," Red said in lazy agreement. His eyes slipped closed and he turned to rub his forehead against Purple's. He pulled his mate and co-leader closer, wrapping his arms around him and Purple mirrored his movements so they were tightly pressed together, their arms around each other's back. "Soon, we'll get up soon," he said feeling tried.

Purple might have said something in return, but Red had lulled himself into a sleep cycle before he could listen to his mate's response.

 

* * *

 

Mik paced in front of the Tallest chambers. He had been there so long that the guards standing nearby stopped paying attention to him and went back to their Irken betting game on the reader between them. After his last confrontation with the Tallest he was hesitant to go in again and interrupt them on the chance that they were mating.

However, the Control Brains were starting to get impatient and he was called to their presence almost hourly. There, they would ask him for more information and hum in displeasure when he had no news. The Tallest were ignoring his messages. No matter how many he sent or how urgently he marked them, he received no response. He could tell that they were opening them, so he wasn't worried that they were hurt or in any crisis, but if they read them then they should know how desperate he was for information.

The pressure from the Control Brains was getting to him. He was afraid for his life and he didn't known how much more he could take. It was bad enough that he was summoned constantly and each time the weight of their displeasure grew heavier, but the smeet comments were starting to drive him crazy with worry.

The Control Brains demanded his presence each time they dragged up a new piece of information about ancient Irken smeets and smeet growth. They were an old race and since PAKs have been used for so long, old and previously useless knowledge had been buried deep into the Control Brain's data banks. Ever since the decision to create natural smeets again, the Control Brains must have been sorting through all the old data to find anything prevalent. They were truly obsessed. Each time Mik told them he had no new news, they hummed in oppressive displeasure before almost woefully sharing a new piece of information. The last time this happened had been particularly terrifying.

 _"Do you come to us with any news of a smeet forming? Or of Tallest Red and Purple engaging in mating activities?"_ the center Control Brain asked and Mik could swear that it leaned forward expectantly.

"Um," Mik rung his hands nervously. "I have sent several messages again, but I have yet to hear of any news of progress. B-But they could just be too busy mating to reply," Mik said trying to sound encouraging.

" _Oh,_ " the Control Brain fell silent and their electric humming filled the room. Mik wanted to throw himself on the ground and bed forgiveness for disappointing them again, but he knew from experience that this just made the situation worse. The Control Brains would pat him on the head with a metal tendril and tell him to eat snacks, saying that Mik's PAK must be overworked to cause such an emotional reaction.

Mik cringed just thinking about it. He made the Control Brains worry about a mere medial drone like himself, they pitied him. The Control Brains. Showed. Pity. It was further proof of how distraught they were with his failure to please them. If this continued to progress, Mik would be the sole Irken responsible for the complete meltdown of their Empire.

" _Did you know_ ," the left Control Brain began, the mechanical voice almost sounding wistful, which just further proved to Mik how horrible the damage was to their circuitry. " _That smeets without PAKs tend to grow at a much quicker rate? Early data shows that because PAKs supply all knowledge that an Irken needs, the body doesn't feel the pressing need to grow and mature in order to learn. This means that many things will be need to be taught to a natural born smeet and that the smeet will not stay a smeet for long. By our calculation in just two of Irk's years it will be fully grown."_

 _"This also means that it will be easy to see the changes of growth in an Irken, they might even grow taller than expected,_ " the right Control Brain added.

 _"After discussing this,_ " the center Control Brain said, _"We have decided that the Tallest's smeet will grow out of smeethood here on the Massive so we can document its growth progress before sending it to Irk for training. We are greatly looking forward to watching the smeet grow."_

There was a slight pause. " _The Tallest's smeet will certainly be very cute_ ," the left Brain said the red lights on the large metal brain turned a pink color.

" _Oh yes_ ," the right Brain agreed, the voice sounding higher in pitch and the red lights flashed pink. " _But it will grow quickly. If it takes on personality traits from Red and Purple it will be a very mischievous and trouble-causing smeetling."_

The Center Brain made a few high-toned beeping sounds that greatly resembled a giggle. " _Indeed, can you imagine Red and Purple chasing after their tiny trouble-causing offspring?"_

Mik stared on in horror as the three Control Brains began laughing in their monotone mechanical voices. " _Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha._ "

" _I'll go check on the Tallest right now!"_ Mik said completely panic stricken as he burst from the Control Brain's chamber. He was seriously concerned, the Control Brains were deteriorating at an alarming rate. They were the Control Brains, they weren't supposed to feel emotions. They were the unfeeling logic of their race, the law-makers and justice bringers. They were the Empire. If they degraded much farther Mik was afraid that they would short circuit.

Which led Mik back to the Tallest Chambers, pacing and trying to find the courage to enter. Fortunately, a signal went off in his PAK, letting him know that he was being hailed. Instantly, he checked who it was and upon seeing it was Tallest Purple calling him, Mik didn't bother answering. Instead, he sprinted forward, the doors automatically opening for him as he ran into their chambers.

"YES, MY TALLEST?!" Mik said much louder than he intended.

Tallest Purple dropped the reader in his hand as his and Tallest Red's antennae stood straight up in alarm. They both jumped surprised and turned to face him, but not before letting out a surprised yelp.

" _Irk it!_ " Tallest Purple swore glaring at him. "How did you get here so quick?"

Mik ignored Tallest Purple's question, his brain was still replaying the scene of the Control Brains' decreasing stability. In fact, he ignored all protocol he usually held when in their presence and rushed over to grasp at Tallest Purple's robe, almost as if he was afraid his Tallest would disappear if he didn't hold on.

"Have you mated yet?" he asked unable to keep the desperate plea out of his voice. His PAK opened and his medical scanner came out. "Did you make a smeet yet?"

His Tallest's antennae fell back and he recoiled, almost pleadingly Tallest Purple turned to Tallest Red. "Red, he's scaring me."

"Me too," Tallest Red said seemingly frozen in place.

" _I need to scan you_ ," Mik said his voice raspy. He was so terrified of what their answer would be. They had no idea how desperate the situation was. And they should! He sent them all those emails about the Control Brain's situation. But they never responded. Never gave him any word of progress. They had to have mated by now. They needed to mate. They needed to make a smeet. The Control Brains' well-being depended on it. The Empire depended on it!

"Red! Get him off!" Tallest Purple began flailing his arms as Mik climbed up his robes so he could get the scanner as close as possible for a good reading.

PAK legs knocked into Mik and he rolled to the ground. He clutched the reader to his chest and when he stopped rolling he grasped the reader and scanned the data. His eyes glued to the screen he waited for it to calculate. There was a _ping_ as the results became displayed across the screen.

Big tears welled up in his eyes before they spilled over, blurring his vision as he turned to face his Tallest. Relief and happiness exploded so intensely inside his small body that he couldn't contain it and his PAK just let it flow instead of trying to damper the extreme emotion. His PAK knew it's limitations. "My Tallest!" Mik flung himself at them.

The two screamed and activated their hover belts, bolting up into the air. Clutching each other they hovered near the ceiling staring down at him with wide eyes.

"My Tallest?" Mik blinked at the now empty space and looked up at his leaders. Grinning he held up the reader. "There is a smeet!"

"Really?" Tallest Purple said, sounding interested and a little doubtful, but still not willing to come close.

"Yes," Mik wiggled his antennae happily and clutched the reader to his chest. "The scanners picked up the presence of a foreign organic material in your spooch."

Tallest Purple exchanged a quick look with Tallest Red. "Are you sure that means there is a smeet?"

"Yes, but a full scan in my medial bay can confirm it," Mik said squeezing the scanner.

"Are you done being insane, now?" Tallest Red asked.

"Hm?" Mik blinked up at his Tallest and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"That's a yes then," Tallest Purple muttered and slowly came down from the ceiling, however they kept their hover belts on. "Before you go reporting to the Control Brains, let's make sure that the scanner is correct. It could just be picking up..." Tallest Purple's face became lightly tinted with blue. "Other organic material and not a smeet," he said.

Mik looked down at his data and flipped through the scanner's results. "I am fairly certain that this is correct, but the Control Brains would be pleased with a more through scan," he agreed. "If you will follow me to the labs?" Mik asked getting to his feet and smoothing down his uniform.

"Sure," Tallest Purple said and Red nodded. They both followed him out of their chambers, making the guards immediately drop their reader and stand alert.

"My Tallest!" they greeted in salute.

The Tallest waved them to let them be as they followed behind Mik, at a safe distance.

Purple stood inside the large body scanner and did his best to remain motionless while still keeping Mik in his line of sight. The medic's previous behavior had been down right terrifying. The crazed look in his eyes was nearly identical to the way Zim's eyes gleamed in the footage from Impending Doom one. Luckily, it appeared to be a temporary fluke of desperation on the medic's part. Purple supposed that ignoring all the 'urgent' messages from the medic might have caused a considerable amount of stress to the small Irken.

If Purple hadn't been so disturbed by the way those eyes had pinned onto him, he might have felt a little guilty. Mik had looked at him like a sugar starved Irken would look at a snack bag. A sugar deprivation could make an Irken down-right insane and rather ruthless until he got what he needed. The fact that Zim was still crazy even when filled up on sugar just showed how defective he was.

"Ah," Mik said, "You can step out now my Tallest," he said and turned to the large screen on the wall of the medical bay especially prepared for him.

Purple went and came up next to Red, just behind the medic. Towering over the smaller they also read the data.

"Yes!" Mik said excitedly. "The results are confirmed, a smeet is forming. There is an abundance of organic material there as well, but it is being harmlessly absorbed by your spooch and will not affect the smeet."

Purple felt his face flush and a quick glance confirmed that Red was too. Hopefully Mik was too excited to ask about the 'organic material' or would be distracted enough by the smeet to not ask too much about it, that was if he didn't already know what it was.

"According to this, the smeet formed about..." Mik trailed off as he read and then he frowned. "That can't be correct," he mumbled.

"What?" Purple asked a bit nervous. Was or wasn't there a smeet? It didn't feel like there was one. He didn't feel any different.

"According to the data, the genetic material provided by Tallest Red met with your reproductive material and fused together, then attached itself to your reproductive spooch sack--"

"--My what?" Purple interrupted.

"Here," Mik pointed with a PAK leg to an internal scan of Purple's body. In the lower part of his spooch was, indeed, a sack looking part which appeared to be directly connected to the female organ. Purple was fairly certain that the bottom of the sack was where his internal female part opened up, letting Red's male part in deeper. Purple flushed bright blue when he realized that the proof of their last full mating was still inside that part of his spooch, which—apparently—his body was absorbing. He hadn't thought about it before, but all the fluid Red released had to have gone somewhere.

"But this doesn't make any sense," Mik frowned at screen. "See here?" he pointed to a higher section of the sack. On the screen there was an arrow pointing to a small dot on the scan. "This is where the smeet is."

"It's just a dot, that's not a smeet," Purple frowned.

Mik glanced back over his shoulder and up at him. "Oh, well, right now, no, it doesn't look much like anything. Like when we begin making the smeets on Irk, the beginning stages of smeet development are just a mass of forming tissues and matter. The process is just beginning, in seven cycles is when we should be able to see a little more of the form. According to the data the Control Brains have found and along with my own calculations, smeet forming whether natural or cloned, will take about the same amount of time until the smeet is ready to exist on it's own, which is about one hundred and fifty cycles."

"That long?!" Purple said slightly aghast.

"That isn't long compared to some other species," Mik said. "And your won't notice too much strain on your body in the beginning. It's when the smeet starts to grow rapidly in size is when it will begin to siphon sugars from your system. I will make a schedule of what to expect and I will also create a feeding schedule that will supply you with a steady flow of snacks. Of course we will scan you regularly to keep track of the growth and make sure everything is going well."

Purple didn't say anything, he just frowned at the dot. He wasn't sure all that time under Mik's care was worth it for the little speck.

"So what doesn't make sense?" Red asked.

"Oh, well," Mik frowned at the screen. "According to my calculations, and they are very accurate, the smeet is developing faster than expected, which... I'm not sure what that means."

"How fast?" Red asked after nervously glancing at a worried looking Purple.

"The smeet—and there is no way this could be wrong—is at the growth size of a two cycle old smeet. Considering the amount of organic material still un-absorbed in Tallest Purple's reproductive sack, the mating was very recent. Our spoochs absorb material quickly, so you must have mated within the last hour or two. It is possible for a smeet to start forming in that time, but it should not be at the growth rate of two cycles. Unless...but that's not possible," Mik said firmly.

"Oh," Red said trying to sound innocent. Mostly he was just embarrassed by Mik knowing how long ago he and Purple mated. It was weird hearing Mik talk about that intense experience so medically. Also he hadn't thought about what happened to all the fluid he released inside of Purple, it was even more embarrassing to know that it was still there and now Mik knew that they had just mated. Red wished they had waited longer before contacting him.

Mik's antennae perked up at Red's tone and he slowly turned to study his Tallest. Neither Red nor Purple looked down at him. Blue flushed their faces as they tried not to look at the scan in front of them.

"My Tallest," Mik said slowly. The only conclusion he could come to was not one he liked. His calculations _were_ correct. He had no doubt about that. But thinking about it, there was no way a smeet could grow so rapidly from a mating that happened so recently. "This," his PAK leg tapped the screen right over Purple reproductive sack. "Is the evidence of your _first_ mating, correct? I am correct in thinking that you would not have mated and then waited _two whole cycles_ before informing me, yes? You have not been ignoring my urgent messages these past _two cycles_ while you mated repeatedly and didn't even send me _one_ reply stating that you were making progress, have you?"

When the Tallest continued to not make eye contact with him, Mik exploded. " _WHAT?!_ My Tallest how could you!" Mik wailed.

Feeling a little guilty Red tired to console the distraught medic. "If it makes you feel any better, that was only our second full mating."

"Red," Purple hissed, his face flushed blue. "He doesn't need to know that."

It was too late, however, Mik had picked up on Red's unfortunate choice of words. "Full mating?" he repeated. "What do you mean 'full mating'?" he asked less woeful and more suspicious.

Red turned to Purple for help, but Purple was just glaring at him. "Oh, it's nothing, so, um about the smeet..."

Mik turned his full attention to Red and pinned him with accusing eyes. "This is clearly not _nothing_ , what do you mean by a 'full mating'?"

"Well, um, a full mating like the vid showed," Red said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "With male and female parts," Red finally said though his face was flushed with blue.

Mik tilted his head in confusion. "That's what a mating means. What other type of mating could there be? Male and female parts are..." Mik trailed off as understanding came to him. "You have mated with just the male parts? Why? That is clearly not in the vid. Did you not understand how to mate? How long did it take for you to figure out that it was incorrect?" Mik asked now worried that he would have to change the vid.

"It's not...I mean—well, um," Red floundered to explain.

"It's not incorrect," Purple said firmly. "It's still mating, just not a _full_ mating." He was not about to let a medic disregard his claim on Red. They were mates before having a full mating, nothing could tell him otherwise.

"But..." Mik trailed off, looking back and forth between the two of them confused. "There can be no smeet from that, what purpose could it— _oh!_ " Mik's antennae popped up. "I remember, now. Yes, he did explain the purpose of a mating that had no way of bearing smeets," Mik mumbled to himself.

"Who did?" Red asked thankful that he wasn't under pressure anymore.

"Oh, my expert," Mik explained offhandedly and he continued to mumble to himself. "Yes, of course, emotional bonding and sharing physical pleasure are also important, that's right, especially with..." Mik turned to study the two of them before he turned his attention to Purple. "This is why you wish to be recognized by the Control Brains. They agreed so readily, I nearly forgot."

"Forgot what?" Purple asked.

"Oh, from the beginning the Control Brains stated that a deeply bonded pair of Tallest would be of a great benefit to the stability of the Empire. I see," Mik turned this thoughts inward again, mumbling them out loud. "Yes, it makes sense why this was taking so long even when you didn't need to go through the partner choosing phase. You were going through the bonding experience and creating strong connections physically and mentally through pleasure sharing. If all you wanted was the smeet, this would have happened much sooner. Hmm," Mik went over to another screen and began typing. "I'll have to inform the team of this possibility among those who pair off on Irk. I'll need to consult the Control Brains on what to do if other Irkens form strong bonds," Mik continued to type but his mumbling was now too low and incoherent to understand.

"Let's go," Red whispered to Purple who nodded and they began quietly sneaking towards the door.

"Wait!" Mik suddenly shouted making the two jump. He spun around and glared at them accusing once more. "This means that both of you were engaging in mating-like activities and activating your reproductive organs for pleasure purposes _before_ you created the smeet. How long has this been going on?" Mik demanded to know.

Before Mik could get hysterical again Red stepped forward to try and calm the medic down. "Not as long as you think, the first time they activated was only three cycles ago."

"Red!" Purple protested.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mik asked thinking about all the stress he had been under. "I could have told the Control Brains you were making progress and then they wouldn't be as damaged."

"We wanted time to _—wait,_ what was that about the Control Brains?" Red cut himself off to ask.

"The Control Brains are malfunctioning from the stress of not hearing any news of your smeet!" Mik cried, relieved he could finally share this information with someone. Only the Tallest could know elsewise everyone would go into a hysterical panic.

"What do you mean they're malfunctioning?" Purple asked stepping forward. "What's happened?"

"They've started to have _emotions_ ," Mik said the word like it was a curse.

"That's impossible," Purple said. "They're the Control Brains, they would have no use for emotions, it wouldn't have been part of their programming. Our people were much smarter than that when they made them."

"I know, that's why I can tell something is wrong. Their beeping has _feeling_ to it. I can sense their disappointment and their sadness with each report. They've started to be become depressed and they say things that invoke incredible guilt and fear and horror in me," Mik explained with wide eyes and shaking hands.

Red and Purple exchanged doubtful looks. "Are you sure _you_ aren't just going crazy?" Purple asked. "You were _very_ crazy when you came to our chambers. It was almost Zim-level scary."

"What?" Mik looked up at the Tallest. He frowned. Could it be possible that the stress was weighing on his PAK?

"Let's go to the Control Brains now," Red suggested. "We can tell them about the smeet and they can acknowledge Purple and I as mates."

"Yes," Mik nodded. "We should go now." They could see for themselves and then Mik would know he wasn't crazy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favorite Mike's scenes. He is losing his cool. The Control Brains are acting weird and it is freaking him out and causing a slight mental breakdown. When he enters the Tallest chambers he has this crazed look and freaks out the Tallest. 
> 
> It is confirmed that Purple is preggers. Throughout the smeet development you'll see that Purple is pretty detached from the idea of having a smeet. To him it's not 'his' offspring, it's a smeet that will serve the Empire. He doesn't have that maternal instinct that makes him invested in the growth of the smeet. I wanted to keep him in character with the way I wrote him. He won't suddenly become caring or maternal just because he's pregnant/smeeting.


	21. The Union's Mark

 

" _This news is most pleasing,"_ the center Control Brain said in a monotone drone. Purple couldn't help the smirk on his face after glancing at Mik. The medic stared disbelievingly, his mouth hanging open. " _We will expect daily reports on the smeet development progress. Tallest Purple, you will report to the medical bay every cycle to ensure that you and the smeet are in ideal condition. Any directions given by Head Medical drone, Mik, are to be flawlessly followed. Should any of those directions interfere with your ability to continue your duties as Tallest, Tallest Red will take on your duties until otherwise notified. Under these conditions, we declare you both on active duty again and you will resume all routine Tallest duties. We also revoke the lock on your PAK,"_ it said as a tendril came down from the ceiling and attached briefly to Purple's PAK.

He could feel the difference immediately, it was like an aching cramp had been removed. Purple opened his PAK and spread out his PAK legs as far as they could go. A pleased hum escaped his lips from the feeling of freedom. Withdrawing them back inside, he gave Red a big smile; he felt like his whole self again. Red shared his smile, pleased that Purple was pleased.

" _Also,_ " the left Control Brain continued. " _It has come to our attention that you, Tallest Red, Tallest Purple, wish to have a Union._ "

"We want to be recognized as belonging only to each other," Purple said standing as tall as he could.

The Control Brains hummed a moment. " _A Union,_ " the right Control Brain began. " _Is an encoding placed into your PAKs that will recognize you both as one Irken."_

Red frowned. "It will merge our PAK data? Our memories?" he asked remembering how it felt to be in both his and Purple's body at the same time. It wasn't something he wanted to repeat.

 _"Incorrect!_ " the right Brain bellowed before launching into an explanation. " _This code will change nothing within the PAK. It alters the PAK ID. Your PAK will be recognized as only half a PAK, the other half will be listed as belonging to Tallest Purple. Tallest Purple, your PAK will be recognized as only half a PAK, the other half will be listed as belonging to Tallest Red. Together, you will both be recognized as one PAK. An Irken with only half a PAK cannot join in an Union with any other Irken. You may not mate with any Irken other than your other half._

_"Further, as Irkens in a Union, it is forbidden to bring harm or allow harm to be done to the other half. Should this occur, you will be declared defective and your PAK removed. If you allow the other half to die and fail to protect the other half, you will be declared defective and your PAK removed. This is only countered if an evaluation is done and it is judged that the harm and/or death of the other half could not have been prevented._

_"Should one half die, or is harmed by another, and it is judged that the other half is not at fault; it is within the other half's right to seek revenge. Until revenge is carried out, all duties will be held without penalty. However, even if the death is not judged to be caused by the other half, the living half cannot join in a Union with any other Irken."_

_"Knowing this do you still wish to engage in a Union?"_ the left Control Brain asked. " _Both Irkens must comply by their own will. If only one Irken complies a Union will not occur. No Irken can be forced into a Union. A forced Union would cause both PAKs to malfunction and result in death."_

" _Do you accept the terms of a Union?"_ the right Brain asked.

Red and Purple exchanged quick glances before they both faced the Control Brains with set expressions. "I accept," they said simultaneously.

Without further ceremony, a tendril from the right and left Control Brain connected to their PAKs. Purple felt the Control Brains' downloading the coding into his PAK, and he braced himself for some kind of pain or any other type of sensation, but nothing happened and the tendril withdrew. Purple checked his PAK but he didn't feel any different.

"Anything?" Red whispered to him, clearly confused by the lack of nothing different as well.

"No," Purple whispered back.

 _"Unions were created to cease unproductive fighting among mate-able Irkens,"_ the Center Brain said. " _Before the creation of Unions, archives indicate that Elite Irkens engaged too frequently in mortal combat over the right to mating partners, this caused a decrease in the Empire's Elite soldiers. Unions ensure the safety of mated Irkens and allow focus to shift back onto the betterment and advancement of the Irken race. Therefore the mark of a Union is to be placed on the foreheads of mated Irkens to warn other Irkens and protect mated pairs._ " As it finished two tendrils came down and stuck themselves to Red and Purple's foreheads.

Both of them yelped at the sudden and searing pain being inflicted. Purple's vision went white for a moment as he felt the skin on his forehead burn. Thankfully, the pain was brief and the Control Brain's tendril withdrew. Delicately he tried to touch his forehead, but winced as whatever they burned onto him was still raw. It would take a little while until the pain faded. Trying not to wince as it hurt the tender skin, he turned to Red.

On Red's forehead was a blackened mark burned into his skin. The mark looked like two Elite symbols, one on top of the other, the bottom one upside-down to create an hourglass shape. Inside the top triangle was the Irken letter 'P' and in the bottom symbol the letter 'R' was upside-down, so if the image had been flipped it would be right-side up. Red similarly studied Purple's forehead.

" _All formal documents you create will now be sealed with your respective marks,_ " the Center Control Brain continued, _"Instead of your former forms of signature._

 _"Ah,_ " the Left Control Brain said as if a sudden thought occurred to it. " _Congratulations_."

 _"Congratulations,_ " the other two Control Brains echoed.

Red and Purple exchanged glances. "Er... thanks?" Purple said.

The Control Brains hummed. " _We will await for the next cycle's update. You are dismissed,_ " one said then they powered down.

Mik immediately turned to them. "See?! Did you see that?" he gestured wildly to the dormant brains. "They displayed emotions!"

Purple frowned down at the distressed medic and furrowed his brow, but instantly winced as it hurt to move his skin. "That wasn't emotion, that was formalities," he said annoyed that Mik's comment made his face hurt. "More importantly, how long until this thing stops hurting?" Purple said pointing to the mark.

"Oh, um, let me see," Mik said easily dropping into 'medic mode'. He went up on his PAK legs to closely inspect Purple's forehead. Such an act would have gotten any other Irken throw out of the airlock, but being a medic it was acceptable that he would have to bring himself up to inspect Purple. A taller would _never_ stoop down low for the convince of a smaller. Mik's PAK handed him a scanner and he scanned Purple's forehead, lowering himself as he studied the data.

"Fascinating," Mik said to himself. "This method of using laser has stunted all regrowth cells on that area of skin. It isn't powerful enough to cause any internal damage, but it has permanently damaged the skin cells. The mark will _scar,_ " Mik said in awe and looked back up to study them. "You will have those marks forever."

"It won't heal?" Purple said irritated and bordering on angry when he moved the skin on his forehead again and it sent more waves of pain. "It's going to be painful all the time?" He could all ready see many problems with this, one being that he was going to be grumpy all the time, which meant his ire would be unleashed on the smallers more often. They'd have to beef up the crew.

"What?" Mik said alarmed. "Oh, no, My Tallest, it will heal. The pain should stop in a few cycles, the skin will just heal at a vastly decelerated rate. Eventually, the black will fade as new skin replaces it, but it will discolor and scar, preserving the mark."

"Days?!" both of them exclaimed causing Mik to flinch at their obvious displeasure.

"Um, if you accompany me to the medical bay, I can apply a healing salve that will speed up the process and reduce the pain," Mik said meekly. Irkens only needed or accepted medical care in extreme situations, not many would accept help for minor injuries as they healed quite quickly. However, Mik could instantly see the wisdom in keeping the Tallest pain-free; it would ensure that their moods were kept in the positive which would then ensure the safety and well-being of the Irkens around them, himself included.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Purple snapped. The pain he felt with every expression was just high enough to be irritating but not intense enough that he would have sought out medical assistance on his own.

They followed Mik back to the medical bay where they were greeted by Mik's lab assistant Shlen, which was the same Irken who had taken care of them after the PAK incident.

"Oh, My Tallest," he bounced excitedly. "I am so very honored to be a part of this medical unit. I have reviewed the data that a smeet has taken, this will be the first natural born smeet in generations. Surely it will be an amazing smeet. I am so very excited. Oh!" he bounced closer staring wondrously at them. It that the Union mark? You are the first Irkens to be in an Union as well. Truly amazing!"

"Wait," Red held up a hand to stall the giddy medic from blabbering on. "We just heard about Unions and this mark, how do you know about it?"

"The Control Brains just released a race-wide PAK message informing all Irkens about Unions, marks, and what they represent. You are the first to be registered in the new Union registrar that will record all further mated-Irkens who also request Unions," Shlen explained waving his arms excitedly. "A message was also sent out saying that depending on the success of this initial project, they may ask for more smeets after the first group of smeets to ensure a steady increase of viable Irken DNA for the cloning processes."

"That seems logical," Purple said shooting a glance at Mik.

"They are just excited about the smeets," Mik mumbled as he trudged past Shlen to the medical cabinet. He rummaged around until he found the bottle he was looking for. He had the two of them sit on the table so he could lift himself up and apply the salve. It took effect instantly and the stinging pain lessened to a dull ache that could easily be ignored. "My Tallest Purple, I would like to see you again in a cycle. I will be tracking the smeet growth and the effects it has on your sugar digestion. I will be adjusting your medical file and instructions as needed. However, should you experience anything outside of the normal report to me immediately."

"Yeah, sure," Purple said hopping off the table and going over to a reflective surface so he could see his own mark. It was the opposite of Red's with Red's letter in the top triangle and his letter upside down on the bottom.

Mik's antennae twitched at his Tallest's tone and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "My Tallest," he began firmly. "You _must_ be here in exactly twenty-five hours, if you do not report for your medical examination I will report this to the Control Brains and then _you_ can explain why _you_ didn't show up for the examination that _they_ ordered."

Purple scowled back at Mik, but eventually conceded with a _tisk_. "Fine. Yes, I will be sure to come here, one cycle exactly, got it."

Satisfied, Mik gave one short nod. "Good. Then unless you have further questions, I will see you in twenty-five hours, My Tallest."

The two left the medical bay and as they hovered down the hall, Red stopped causing Purple to as well. "Where should we go?" Red asked.

"What do you mean, where? The bridge of course. We've finally been released from our lock-down. I'm almost sick of seeing the same walls. Besides we have all our work to catch up on and we can get more done there," Purple said.

"Don't you want to go back and celebrate our new status?" Red asked gesturing to their foreheads.

It took a moment to understand Red's meaning, but when he did Purple grinned. "Later, let's get some work done first. That is if you even _can._ I bet I'll be able to get more accomplished than you."

Red jumped on that opportunity right away. "Done. What are we betting with? What does the winner get?"

"The first donu-" Purple caught himself as he saw the expression on Red's face. The first choice of snacks wasn't what Red had in mind. "The winner gets to be dominant and the other has to be completely submissive...the whole time," Purple added to sweeten the deal not sure if Red would agree. Red hated doing busy work and it took him forever to get his share done. This bet would be putting Red at a disadvantage. It was almost too easy for Purple to win.

Red grinned back. "Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (random headcanon) : way back when-for special occasions and ceremonies-mated Irkens would apply paint over their scars or outline them to make their marks stand out further. Newly mated Irkens would also apply paint to their marks for up to a year after their Union to make it more obvious to other Irkens. This was both a warning to not mess with them or their partner, as well as to proudly show that they had found a mate)
> 
> Also Mik isn't wrong. There is something vastly different with the Control Brains. He's just the only one to notice. 
> 
> For Irkens I like to think of them as a mate-for-life type of people. It think it goes well with their selfish and possessive nature: 'Even if I die, you'll only belong to me.'


	22. Red's Win

Exactly one cycle later Tallest Purple stormed into the medical bay. His displeasure was so apparent that even the excited Shlen decided that it was best to let Mik handle the scan. He hid behind one of the analyzing docks where he pretended to busy himself with reviewing the data the Control Brains found...for the fourteenth time.

Mik couldn't blame his assistant for the fear, if he didn't have the position he did Mik would have been afraid of his Tallest as well. Fortunately, his title as Control Brain Representative was still active.

"My Tallest, you appear agitated," Mik said calmly approaching his irate leader.

Purple scowled down at him. "Just get this over with."

Mik sighed. "My Tallest, these scans are necessary and ordered by the Control Brains. I know this is an inconvenience for you in your duties, but this is the first smeet to develop naturally in many millennials. We are taking extreme care that you and-"

"-I know," Tallest Purple cut him off annoyed. "I'm fine with that. I get it. I don't want to be eaten from the inside out either."

"My Tallest, there is no possible way that could happen," Mik said with a frown.

Tallest Purple sat in a huff onto the medal table. "You know what I mean."

"Oh, you are talking about the possibility that your sugar levels could drop until you go into a coma. Yes, well, we will do our best to ensure that doesn't happen." Mik paused, seeing how none of this seemed to appease his Tallest. "Is there another matter that concerns you?"

"It's Red," Tallest Purple hissed causing Mik to immediate become alarmed. "He cheated!" Purple said now that he had someone to vent to. "There's no other explanation."

"W-What do you mean?" Mik asked after sharing a nervous glance with Shlen. It would not be good for the first mated-pair to fall apart. If Tallest Red did try to mate with another Irken it would mean he would be declared defective, and that would have consequences he rather not think about it. Also there were no other mate-able Irkens on the Massive, they were all on their way to Irk. So how in _Irk's_ name did Tallest Red manage to find another Irken to mate with?

" _I've_ always done the bulk of the tedious work," Tallest Purple began, placing emphasis on himself by placing a hand on his chest armor. "I did this _because_ Red was so bad at it. He hated doing the busy work. He did it, but I was _always_ more efficient and quick with getting it done so I'd end up helping him finish his share of the work. Of course, he did a lot of the military planning," he admitted begrudgingly.

"My Tallest?"

"But he had to have cheated somehow. Otherwise how else would he beat _me_ in finishing the work we had for today? He even had the _Irken_ nerve to offer help in finishing the rest of my reports. Either he cheated or he...he... he's been holding back all this time!" Tallest Purple's fingers curled into fists and he shook them in anger. "He was being lazy on purpose and _making_ ME do all the boring work ever since we became Tallest! It's— _garrrrh_!" Tallest Purple throttled the air in front of him.

"My Tallest?"

"I couldn't have lost. There's no way I'm going to acknowledge that he won the bet," he said with a scowl.

"Wait," Mik held up his hands gaining his Tallest's attention. "You are upset because Tallest Red beat you in a bet on who could finish work the fastest?" Mik said wanting to make sure he was clear on this.

"Yes," Purple hissed back. "That's what I said isn't it?" he snapped.

"Why are you angry over Tallest Red's improvement in his report skills? What did you bet with?" Mik asked. Interestingly, Tallest Purple's face flushed with blue and he looked away.

"It's nothing," he mumbled. "Are you going to scan me or not?" he asked, irritated but significantly less angry.

"Yes," Mik said slowly, studying his Tallest. "If you will step over here," he directed Tallest Purple to a full scanner. After the scan was complete, Mik looked over the data quickly to check for any abnormalities as well as any progress in the smeet development. He would go more meticulously over the information with his assistant after Tallest Purple left. "Hmm, growth is still in the per-formation phase, as expected, but the cells are multiplying. According to the records in the archives, the cells should take on smeet formation in six more cycles.

"The Control Brains and my research suggest that the development of the smeet will occur at a normal rate, but a natural born smeet will grow rapidly as it will need to learn manually. To help with this learning process as well as to monitor natural smeet development, the Control Brains have declared that your smeet will stay on the Massive until it is old enough to go into elite training on Irk."

"Wait, _what_?" Tallest Purple stared at Mik incredulously. "You mean not only do I have to share my body's sugar with this thing, I have to share the Massive with it too?"

"Of course, you and Tallest Red will be raising the smeet until it is mature," Mik said.

"WHAT?! I have to take care of it too?!" Tallest Purple exclaimed. "Now I know why they started cloning. This is ridiculous. I'm the Tallest, I shouldn't have to take care of a smeet."

"Um, I have read that in many species a bond is formed between offspring and their birthers and that they take great pleasure in caring for their young," Mik offered.

"How can taking care of a small, tiny, useless thing be fun?" Tallest Purple crossed his arms in a pout.

Mik frowned, unsure how to answer. He didn't imagine it would be much fun. It would be very interesting to him as a medical science expert, but he doubted that would apply to Tallest Purple. In all honestly, he couldn't see it either. He had no idea how other species took pleasure in looking after what was essentially an useless lump of flesh and organs. He had a theory that this was why many species had this 'bond' thing that occurred. If the offspring wasn't self-sufficient from birth (which did happen to many lesser creatures but oddly enough wasn't a typical trait of their own superior race) then the birthers would abandon the offspring and it would eventually die unable to care for itself. Mik also suspected that this was why PAKs were invented. Really, what intelligent race would _want_ to care for useless living lumps?

As there was nothing else to discuss, Mik told Tallest Purple to continue his normal routine and to come back in another cycle. Mik forwarded the scan results to the Control Brains and wondered again why they would be so excited about seeing PAK-less smeets.

* * *

Red floated into the Tallest chambers in a rather light mood. He'd just come back from the medical bay after talking with Mik about some questions he had. Red was quite pleased to find out that he and Purple could continue to mate even though there was already a smeet, though Mik had stressed the point that there was no need for the action and that there would be no more than one smeet forming even if they mated again. He asked if his desire to mate repeatedly had to do with their bond, but Red skirted around the issue saying he was just curious and tried to leave. However, Mik began asking more detailed questions about their mating.

Mik reminded Red about their deal that Mik could ask him any question he wanted in order to better understand the mating process. Luckily, Shlen had been missing from the room. He'd gone to see the construction team about building a room somewhere for the smeet. Considering the position the Control Brains had given Mik, the medical drone was the _only_ Irken he would allow to hear him talk about Purple like that. The questions were highly specific and Mik pressed for more and more details and somehow was able to pry them out from Red.

It was the most embarrassing situation Red had ever been in and he gave as little as he could to the medic, but still Mik was able to squeeze more details from him. On the other hand, Red did get something in return...whether he wanted it or not. Mik practically forced him to take the mating PAK extensions and just shy of ordering him, told Red to use them the next time they mated. Mik wanted to know how effective they were and if they aided in mating or not.

Despite his embarrassment and horribly mortifying conversation with Mik, Red was still in a great mood. He was going back to his rooms to spend time with his newly declared mate and Union partner. And if that wasn't cause enough to be in a good mood, he also won their bet. He would have free rein to completely dominate Purple. He could touch as he wanted and drown in the sensations of Purple's sweet scent. He would get to see his mate reacting to him, to his touch, to completely submit to him. Red could feel his antennae twitch in anticipation. Purple never gave in fully, he pushed back and tried to gain control. It wasn't that Red didn't like that, but having someone submit to you fully was every Irken's dream, of course usually it was in terms on the battlefield.

If he was absolutely sure he'd win, Red would try to goad Purple into fighting a little first so the submission would be that much greater. However, after loosing this bet, Red knew Purple would be twice as scrappy so his chances of winning were low. Red wanted this too much to risk loosing it all. He would take what he could today.

When he entered their rooms, his eyes immediately found Purple. His mate and co-leader was sitting on the couch angrily stuffing donuts into his mouth, using his PAK extensions and his hands to hold the donuts. Purple's antennae twitched and he looked up as Red entered. Upon seeing him, his glare intensified; he was still sore about loosing the bet.

Red grinned. This was only going to make Purple submitting so much sweeter. "Why are you using your PAK like that?" Red asked keeping off the main subject. He was excited, but not stupid. Gloating was a perfect way to start a fight with Purple.

"Because I can," Purple said his voice daring Red to challenge him.

He decided to not take the bait. "It must feel good to use them again," Red said sitting next to Purple on the couch. He reached for a donut, but Purple quickly snatched it up first and ate it. Usually, this would be cause for a short fight or a struggle on who could eat the donuts faster. Red let this go too, he was not going to jeopardize this opportunity for anything, not even donuts.

Purple caught on to what he was doing and changed tactics, "You cheated, the bet doesn't count."

"I did not!" Red protested a little insulted. Cheating meant that you already admitted defeat. If you were confident you could win you didn't need to cheat. "I reviewed the most documents and I finished the most reports, I won and you lost."

"There was no way I could have lost," Purple persisted angry enough to put down his donuts. "You hate doing reports, I always finished mine first and had to help you. If you didn't cheat it means you've been doing a dookie of a job before and pushed it all on me."

"That's not true either, I did what I could. I just never had the motivation to finish them faster. I never rushed to do more because you were always better at the reports than I was. I did what I could, but left the important ones to you, because I knew you'd do better at it than me."

"Oh," the anger dissipated from Purple as a slight blue appeared on his face. It took Red a moment to realize that he'd just complimented Purple by admitting that his co-leader was better at something than he was. Everyone knew Purple was more apt at this kind of thing, but no one voiced it, especially Red.

"Are you still angry?" Red asked trying to move things along and not focus on what he said. He could feel his face flush as well.

"Not anymore," Purple said though he didn't seem too enthusiastic either. He slumped back in the couch. "I wanted to win the bet. I thought for sure I'd win. I just got my PAK functioning again too," he mumbled.

"You wanted to use your PAK for our next mating?" Red asked, curious.

"I wanted to pin you down and immobilize you and then do all the touching I wanted. You've done that to me plenty of times. I wanted a turn," Purple pouted.

The idea made Red's antennae twitch in anticipation. He almost suggested that they do just that. Seeing Purple in-control and dominating would be quite the sight, but Red eventually pushed the urge down. Who knew when the opportunity to have Purple completely submissive would come to him again.

"So I can use my PAK to hold you down if I wanted?" Red asked, thinking about the extensions that Mik had forced upon him. He noticed Purple's antennae twitching as they picked up on the sweet scent Red had no doubt he was emitting. He scooted closer to his mate. "Last time I did that you still managed to get in control. This time will be different. Completely submissive, the whole time, that was the bet."

"I know," Purple said still a bit grumpy, but there was a faint sweet scent coming from him.

Red stood up and grinned down at Purple. "They fixed your door while we were working, right?"

Purple nodded, "And the closet too," he said as Red had to destroy the door so Purple could get to his extra armor and Tallest robes.

"Can we mate in your room then?" Red asked, holding his breath with anticipation.

Purple gave him a startled expression before turning contemplative, thinking over Red's request. Red wasn't sure if that would be asking too much, to have Purple fully submissive while in his own room. That was his personal space, to submit to him, to let Red have complete control in his own territory was the ultimate form of submission. Purple met his eyes briefly before looking down and frowning. Finally, he closed his eyes and gave a resigned sigh. "When you look at me like that, I can't say no."

Red felt his grin widen as he grabbed Purple's hands and hauled him to his feet. Grabbing Purple's upper shoulders he wheeled him around and into his room. Red asked for Purple's locking code and made sure the door was secure before turning back to his mate and co-leader. Purple stood in the middle of his room with his arms crossed, his antennae slightly perked and a light blue tinting his cheeks. The sweet smell was still very faint, Purple was upset about losing though he was willing to follow through with his end of the bargain.

Standing in front of him Red held out his hand, "Give me your hover belt," he demanded still trying to fight down his giddy feelings. Purple un-clipped the belt from around his waist and handed it over. Red set it down on a table against the wall, safely out of the way. "Now take off your gauntlets and drop them to the floor."

With a clank and a thud, Purple dropped the metal gauntlets around his hands. His two fingers curled into fists that he planted on his hips and faced Red, almost challengingly. Thrilled chills ran up Red's spine. Purple was strong, fierce, stubborn and entirely his. Just thinking about Purple's face turning from stubborn to wanting had Red's antennae twitching.

"Now your boots," Red said and Purple sat on the edge of his bed to remove them and expose his bare feet. "And the chest armor," Red instructed as Purple pressed the spots on the metal protecting the majority of his organs. The round armor opened and dropped from Purple's shoulders, leaving the ringed casing around his middle, which was the next thing Red had him remove and push off the bed. Purple sat in the long purple skirt and black under clothes. So far the only skin Red could see was his feet and arms. That wasn't enough. Next went the skirt, then the black shirt until he just stood in his standard black leggings. Anticipating his next request Purple moved to remove his pants, but Red quickly stopped him.

"No, I didn't order you to do that," Red said standing in front of Purple. "Get on the bed, near the top by the wall."

"It's going to be hard to mate with them still on," Purple pointed out, speaking for the first time since he began undressing. His scent was still faint, Red planned on changing that very soon.

"I know what I'm doing," Red said waving a hand towards the top of the bed. "Just follow directions and remember no PAK and no resisting."

Purple made an irritated sound with his tongue and stepped onto the bed, walking over to sit at the top. Red activated his hover belt and floated over to drop down in front of Purple. "Give me your foot," Red said holding out his hand. When Purple complied there was a slight curiosity in his eyes at the odd request. Red opened his PAK and took out one of the four contraptions he picked up from the armory.

"Hey, that's a ground restraint," Purple said recognizing the device. It consisted of a single shackle with a short chain and a spike that when activated would bury itself into whatever ground surface it could find, chaining a prisoner's limb down. It was great for on-planet captures when captives needed to be secured so they didn't try to flee.

"Mm hm," Red said latching the shackle around Purple's ankle and activating the spike so it drilled down into Purple's bed.

"Hey!" Purple protested angrily, though Red wasn't sure if he was more upset about being held down or the now-hole in his bed. Purple jerked on the chain, testing the strength, but the spike was holding fast into his bed, giving him only a few inches of maneuverability on that leg.

"Your other foot," Red said scooting over and holding out his hand.

"What are you going to say to the drones when they have to replace my bed because there are spikes in it?" Purple snapped and Red was relieved to hear that Purple's anger was coming from this and not the idea of him being tied down.

"I'll take the spikes out after," Red assured him and with a huff Purple gave him his other foot to secure down. Red made sure to secure Purple's ankles a good distance away from each other so they were spread out. He didn't want a repeat of last time, when Purple held him immobile with his strong legs.

"There will still be two holes in my bed," Purple pointed out as he sat up and gestured to the spikes.

"Four," Red corrected activating his hover belt to float over Purple and to his side. "Give me your hand," he said his PAK taking out a third restraint.

"Is that really necessary?" Purple whined as the predicament he found himself in began to dawn on him. Red picked up on the slightly more pronounced scent in the air and he grinned at his mate.

"Oh, yes," Red said in mock seriousness. "You might be able to escape my PAK legs, but these will make sure you keep your promise. Complete submission, remember?"

"I can be submissive without them," Purple protested.

"I don't think so," Red said still holding his hand out for Purple. "You said it yourself last time I restrained you, that it was hard to control your body's reactions. I want to take all your control away," Red purred. "Be completely in my control."

"No one can find out about this," Purple glared at him as he held his hands protectively at his chest.

Red sat back on his legs, frowning at Purple. "I want to mate with you, make you mine, why would I share this experience with anyone else? I'm the only one allowed to see you like this, to know you like this." A worrying thought occurred to Red. "If you had won, would you have told others about me submitting to you while mating? You'd share our mating experiences with other Irkens?"

"What?" Purple's antennae shot up in alarm. "No, never. You're mine."

"Well," Red said a bit exasperated and held out his hand again. "What makes you think I'd do anything different?"

Blue became more prominent on Purple's face as his eyes found other things to focus on. "I don't think that," he finally admitted. "I was just..." he trailed off, more blue highlighting his face.

Red caught on in an instant. He hadn't been around Purple for this long without picking up on some of his more sly tactics. "You...You're still trying to turn this around aren't you?" Red said slightly aghast with himself that he hadn't noticed earlier. Purple was still trying to goad him into another argument, another fight so that he could flip the bet around and get back in control. _Irk_ , Purple could be such a sore loser. The thought amused Red and he made a gimme gesture with his hand. "Nice try, Pur, but you lost. I wouldn't let this opportunity pass me by. Knowing you, you'll fight twice as hard at our next bet. If I don't take this chance I won't have another for a long time."

Purple turned back to look at him with surprise. In a round-about way Red acknowledged that Purple had a higher percentage chance at winning their fights. "You mean that?" he asked to be sure.

"It's always been that way," Red said. "Ever since the first time I won one of our challenges and went after you again. I learned quickly that I could never hold my victory for long. That's why I avoided challenging you to the same thing twice. Even if I won first, I knew it was nearly impossible for me to win a second time. You were always better the next time we fought."

"Oh," was all Purple said, his antennae angled to show how happy this information made him as well as the slight smile on his lips.

"So," Red continued, "I'm going to take all that I can from this opportunity."

Purple stared down at Red's extended hand, "You'd better," he said placing his wrist in Red's possession. Grinning, he met Red's eyes fully. "You're right, I won't let you win next time."

Red secured Purple's arm up above his head, then did the same to the other, so Purple was fully tethered to the bed. Purple jerked on his restraints fairly hard, testing them out and was impressed with their ability to hold him down. Red crawled over Purple's prone body. Tilting his head down, he traced the outline of the Union symbol on Purple's forehead with the top of his tongue.

"To be honest, Pur, I'm looking forward to our next fight," Red said and paused to let that sink in. Purple's eyes widened in surprise before the thought clicked and his scent increased, no doubt imagining their positions switched. "But until then, I'll enjoy every moment of this." Red lightly trailed his long fingers down Purple's ribcage. "Relax, Pur, and be mine."

The sweet scent wafted through the air as Red focused onto his mate's exposed skin. He marveled again in how different Purple felt to him. He knew their skin texture was identical, but Purple's skin had so much more appeal to him; cool, smooth, firm but at the same time soft. As he touched, Red was acutely aware of Purple watching his every move.

Red traced each of Purple's ribs with his fingertips before he removed his own gauntlets. He tossed them to the side where they fell to the floor with a heavy _thunk_. His palms now uncovered, Red splayed them over Purple's chest, trying to touch as much as he could. Purple watched him intently in silence, but the more Red touched the stronger the scent in the air became. Purple's antennae perked up, and twitched slightly at every movement Red made.

"You're not taking off the rest of your armor?" Purple asked suddenly.

"No," Red said and deactivated his hover belt so he could crawl over to Purple's side and loom over his mate's face. "The gauntlets were in the way, but the rest should be fine." He licked Purple's lips and his partner opened his mouth to capture his tongue, but Red pulled back. "Submissive," Red reminded him and poked his tongue. Purple gave him an annoyed look, but pulled his tongue back in.

"How am I supposed to taste you then?" he asked grumpy.

"You don't get to," Red said with a cheeky grin. "I'm the one doing the tasting. You have to be submissive until I order you differently." He licked Purple's lips again and was pleased when Purple let him and didn't try to take control. "Now, you can taste me, but I get to stay in control," Red instructed as he pressed their mouths together and slipped his tongue inside to curl around Purple's. True to his word, Purple coiled back round his tongue but stayed passive. His antennae fell forward seeking out Red's, but Red kept his back, as much as he wanted to relieve the itching desire to rub antennae with Purple, he held back.

With a frustrated grunt Purple leaned forward, straining his antennae to get that touch he so wanted, but the shackles around his wrists didn't let him move forward much. Red chuckled and leaned back, separating their tongues. "Is there something you want?" Red asked his voice a teasing whisper. Purple hissed back at him and Red gave him a mock frown. "That's not very submissive."

"They're itchy!" Purple glared at him. "Yours have to be just as itchy."

They were, but Red wasn't about to admit that. "Not yet," he said blowing lightly on Purple's antennae making him shudder as they wiggled to avoid his breath. "I want to try something first," Red said and scooted down to sit in between Purple's legs. From his PAK he pulled out a short, sharp knife used in desperate situation for close combat.

"What's that for?" Purple asked, his tone curious and cautions, but not afraid. Neither one had ever done something that would severely hurt the other, even when fighting. Red almost sighed in relief, he wasn't sure how Purple would react. The trust was back up between them and Red felt it was stronger than before, but he wasn't sure Purple would feel the same way when tied up and completely vulnerable.

Red held the blade's tip to the top of Purple's thigh and still Purple didn't tense. "Weren't you curious to see how I would remove your pants with your legs restrained?" Red asked playfully.

Purple blinked a moment and then glanced at his ankle, "Oh," he said, clearly the answer was 'no, he wasn't'. Red pressed the knife against the cloth and made a small cut. Purple winced slightly and Red saw he misjudged the capability of the blade as it had cut into his skin as well as the pants.

He was about to apologize when the scent of Purple's blood came to him and Red saw how Purple's antennae twitched. Keeping eye contact, Red leaned over the small wound and ran his tongue along it tasting the small amount of blood. Purple hissed his name as his leg muscles twitched at the touch. The wound closed quickly, it hadn't been as deep as Red first thought it was.

The sweet tang of Purple's blood made Red's spooch twist inside him and he wanted more. He made numerous small slices through the fabric of Purple's pants all along his legs and hips. After the first few he knew exactly how much pressure to apply to only cut the fabric. Sometimes he wouldn't even touch the skin, others he lightly scratched it and only occasionally did he break skin causing Purple hiss and then moan as Red ran his tongue along the small wounds before they closed up.

Purple couldn't keep his legs entirely still and the fabric was beginning to fall off his legs in ribbons. Red finally moved the knife to the hem at Purple's stomach. Applying enough pressure to only cut the fabric, Red trailed the knife down stopping every time Purple moved or twitched in anticipation as the knife was heading lower down the center of himself.

"Don't move," Red instructed. "Submissive, remember," he added when he felt Purple tense. He waited until he felt his mate relax. He wouldn't put it past Purple to suddenly move his hips forward just to have more contact. That wasn't what Red wanted. As he cut, the fabric parted revealing the thin line concealing Purple's mating parts. The skin was slick and already beginning to part as clear fluid leaked out. Red put the knife away in his PAK and grabbed the fabric at Purple's hips. With a quick jerk of his arms the pants tore into pieces. Red held the shreds in his hands and only a few pieces remained stuck under Purple. It was easy to get all the pieces and toss them to the side, making Purple completely bare. Purple gasped as the pants were torn away and then breathed out in a pleased hiss. It wasn't like he though Red would leave them on.

Red touched the slick skin and slipped a finger just in between the parted skin. He could feel the skin become softer and more malleable. However, he couldn't quite see the entire part so he had two PAK legs slip under Purple's hips and prop them up so he could see better and have a more accessible angle.

Purple tilted his head, frowning, he wasn't too happy with this angle. "What are you-" his questions was cut off with a pleased noise as Red trailed his fingers along the sensitive side of the skin. Red pushed his fingers gently between the skin and he could feel Purple's male organ begin to uncurl. Not wanting that out quite yet he pressed against it, much like Purple had done to him, preventing it from emerging. Purple moaned at the touch but before he could complain, Red used his other hand to slip a finger in lower where his female opening was still hidden. The skin there was completely slick inside, but still very tight and Red could tell that the opening was still shut. He wiggled his finger, touching the entrance and Purple tried to jerk his hips, but the shackles at his ankles and the PAK legs holding his hips had him immobile.

"Red," he panted. "What are you...just let it out already," he said growing increasingly impatient as the pleasurable feelings began to increase.

"Beg me," Red taunted, saying what Purple said to him before.

Purple made an irritated sound, " _Please_ , Red," he said over exaggerating the word.

Red moved his hand away from his female part and leaned over Purple, keeping the pressure on his male organ, still curled up inside. "No," Red grinned at the shocked expression on Purple's face. As it began to contort into anger, Red wrapped the hand slick with fluid around Purple's antennae and lightly squeezed. Purple leaned into the touch, straining his muscles as he tried to pull his hips away, but Red's PAK legs held him firmly. The sounds Purple made as Red continued to press against his male part while playing with his antennae had Red's own organ slipping out. It was uncomfortable as his tight invader pants made it nearly impossible for it to come out, but he could manage for a while longer.

Red leaned closer to wrap his tongue around Purple's other antennae, making his mate gasp and make even more sounds, some pleased and some angry hisses. Inside his PAK, Red attached one of the extensions Mik had given him. The extension mimicked the shape of a male organ, but had these flexible bristles covering the top. Silently bringing it out, Red moved his mouth from Purple's antennae to taste his lips and he didn't mind when Purple's tongue fought against him and thrust into his own mouth. He tasted Purple and let himself drown in the sensations.

Red brought the extension down between Purple's legs, but kept it away and out of sight. He pulled away, and reluctantly Purple let his tongue go. Red made sure to keep his hands gently massaging the base of one antennae. Purple's eyes were fully glazed and he held that dark possessive look, despite being the one in control Red almost lost himself in those darkened eyes. Purple was his, but every fiber of Red's being belonged to Purple as well.

Breaking away from Purple's gaze, Red brought his attention to between his mate's legs. He could feel the male part straining to be free as the skin was fully parted now, and at this angle he could see the female opening as well. Out of Purple's sight, Red brought the PAK extension closer. Unlike his own male organ, Red had complete control of it's wiggling.

"Do you want to do a full mating?" Red asked letting go of Purple's antennae. Despite saying that Purple had to be fully submissive, he didn't want to over step things. They had done a full mating recently and he wasn't sure Purple would want another round.

It in his frustrated state it took Purple's brain a few moments to process Red's question. He scowled as he thought. "No, I..." he shook his antennae to clear his mind a bit more. "I don't want Mik to see mating fluids again. It was embarrassing."

"What if there were no fluids released?" Red asked.

"Ah," Purple shuddered and scowled. It was hard to think with his male organ being pressed against like that. "Yes, fine. I don't care. Just let it out," he tossed his head back onto the bed as it was the only thing he could still move freely.

"Well, this won't release any fluids," Red said slyly holding up his PAK tendril with the extension attached to the end.

Purple's eyes widened, "Where did you-" he didn't finish his question as Red finally moved his fingers, letting his male organ slip out and wiggle around in the air thankfully. Purple let out a sigh of relief as the uncomfortable pressure eased away and was replaced with a _wanty_ feeling instead. He momentarily forgot about the extension until he felt it press up against his female part. "Red," he hissed angrily. "When did you get that?"

"Mik gave them to me," Red said innocently and moved the soft bristly tip around the outside edge of Purple's female opening. Purple shivered, he couldn't deny the _very good_ feeling it was giving him. In fact it was making it exceedingly hard to stay mad at Red for both acquiring and hiding such things from him. "Why did _—ah,_ " Purple said with a sharp intake of breath as the tip of the bristled male part moved around in small circles. He could feel his thigh muscles twitching, on top of not being able to move an inch the position Red's PAK legs had him in was straining them. Purple opened his eyes to slits, not having remembered closing them, to eye his mate. Red gazed down at him, his eyes darkened with possessive hunger. Purple felt his spooch clench in his chest cavity, that look made him feel all kinds of things, but mostly it just made the needy wanty feelings worse.

Before he couldn't think at all Purple tried again, "Why did Mi- _iiih_ ," again Red moved the tip, just inside the female part and it continued making circles all at once touching all those sensitive pleasing spots.

"Why did Mik give me this?" Red said the question he knew Purple was trying to ask. He moved the extension in just a little further until all the flexible soft bristles were inside. The extension was very flexible and Red moved it rhythmically, applying pressure all along the inside. Purple described his insides like another antennae, so Red knew every touch was causing good feelings. It was near addicting hearing the sounds Purple was making, and knowing that he was the cause made Red's organ twitch uncomfortably inside his uniform.

He didn't want to remove his Tallest robes and armor just yet. It was a statement, a visual cue that he was still in control. Red knew, despite Purple's promise, that the moment he let his guard down Purple would take back control, driving Red blank-minded with his own pleasurable sensations. So he wanted to draw this out as long as possible and give Purple as many good feelings as he could. He wanted this experience to be something Purple would want to do again because, _Irk_ , seeing Purple so lost in his needy feelings that he couldn't even speak made every part of Red burn with need.

"Since he knows we're going to mate again, and not to make smeets, he wanted me to test these out and see if they are useful tools for mating pairs to use. As Tallest I can't refuse such a request when it will do so much good for other Irkens. You did willingly submit to me," Red reminded him and for good measure he nibbled on Purple's quivering thigh and ran his tongue along Purple's warmed skin. His partner moaned in response to Red's ministrations and he tried to gather enough wit to speak.

"You can't...don't let..." Purple panted, Red was doing that infuriating thing where he was causing more and more good feelings, but at the same time not doing anything to ease those feelings. They just kept building until his entire lower half felt on fire and his antennae were twitching so wildly it was hard to focus properly on his words.

"Don't worry," Red ran his tongue closer to the joint of Purple's legs and his male part, which was wiggling desperately, needing to rub against something and create relieving friction. "Mik only needs to know 'yes or no', I don't have to tell him how you react to their use," Red said and smirked. "I will definitely tell him 'yes' for this one."

What Red had been saying finally sunk in, "This one?!" Purple repeated, with enough clarity to lift his head and stare disbelievingly at Red.

"Oh yes," Red tried to say matter-of-factually, but it still came out smug. "I have several models to try out. This is going to take some time, do let me know if you need snacks."

Purple opened his mouth to retort but instead moaned as Red wrapped his tongue around his male part and squeezed. Simultaneously, Red drove the extension in deeper until it filled him, the bristles rubbing him in all the feel good spots. Purple's hips strained as he tried to move closer to Red, wanting more, needing more. The pressure kept building until he felt his inner muscle loosen, allowing the extension to go in further. Except, it didn't. Red pulled it out, leaving him on the very edge of that release, but unable to feel it.

"Red," Purple hissed angrily lifting his head to look at his mate. Red's eyes gleamed mischievously as he looked over the extension covered in mating fluids. Detaching it he set it aside and pulled out another from his PAK, this one was thicker with bumps covering it.

"Do you want more good feelings?" Red asked, finally meeting Purple's eyes. The red of his armor only made the red of his eyes seem all the brighter. It finally occurred to him that Red was still fully dressed and thus wouldn't be mating with him. He wasn't sure he liked that.

"Why?" Purple asked, his breath a bit raspy and it took effort for his mind to focus on that word. At Red's confusion he continued. "Aren't you mating with me?"

Red frowned a moment, before his eyes widened in understanding. He leaned forward until their foreheads could touch, the marks pressing against each other. The skin there didn't hurt anymore and Purple felt that the gesture was affectionate. Red's antennae leaned forward and met with his and unable to stop himself Purple rubbed his stalks along Red's.

"You're mine," Red whispered. "I want you to be completely mine. I want to give you all those good mating feelings. I want to see your eyes, I want to hear the sounds you make, I want to feel your responses, I want you to fill the air with your scent all because of me. I can't pay attention to all that if I'm feeling the good feelings too. I want to be in control the whole time. Whenever I start to feel the good feelings too, I always lose the advantage. This time I won't let you take back control at the last second."

"Is that the real reason for the restraints?" Purple asked after a moment, a grin forming on his face. "You feel too good and can't help but become submissive?"

"It's more like you react without thinking when you feel good," Red mumbled. "You've always been feisty, Purple, scrappy in the final moments of a fight. In battle it's easier to keep a focused mind. When we mate the feelings are so overwhelming, it's like my PAK just stops filtering and all it can focus on are the physical sensations. So just," he leaned over Purple so their eyes could meet. "Let me have you."

Purple flicked his antennae forward so it could brush the side of Red's face. "Fine, it that's what my mate wants. I'll allow it this once. Just this once," Purple repeated a tint of blue forming on his cheeks. "I'd rather hold down then be held down."

"I know," Red said understanding what it meant that Purple was willing to let him do this, even if it was part of a bet. Closing the space between them, Red tasted Purple's lips, tongue and mouth; and Purple tasted him in return. Their antennae bumped together and slid against each other, creating sweet friction and filling the air with that sweet scent once more. They both moaned into each others' mouths and their breathing became labored. Red was aware of his organ trying to push itself out in the tightness of his pants. He was also aware of Purple's organ wiggling against him, their groins mashed together, which wasn't helping Red's situation at all.

He pulled back, tasting Purple's skin. He ran his tongue under Purple's jaw, lightly biting his collarbone and leaving small, quickly healing, bite marks all down his chest and abdomen. Red reached the joint of Purple's legs and his organ wiggled in the air, reaching towards him in hopes for the friction that would allow for release. Purple made a frustrated sound when Red ignored his aching organ.

Red wasn't done yet. He wanted the air to be saturated with Purple's sweet scent and his mate's pleasured sounds. He slipped the thicker PAK extension inside and Purple hissed in pleasure. Red couldn't control the extension like the thinner one, it didn't move around much, instead he moved it back and forth rubbing the bumps along the insides. Purple's legs shook and twitched, his muscles tensing as the sensitive insides were stimulated. For a moment Red was a little jealous that Purple had two organs from which to feel pleasure. He wrapped his fingers around Purple's male organ and squeezed making Purple cry out his name as the organ tried to wrap around his fingers.

"It's not enough," Purple panted. " _Ah, uhn,_ Red, _Irk it!_ I need more inside."

Red pulled out the PAK extension and lightly squeezing Purple's male organ. He leaned over and rubbed antennae with his mate. Purple eagerly wrapped his tongue around Red's pulling him into his mouth, his antennae feverishly rubbing against his. Red almost lost himself. It was intoxicating, the feeling Purple evoked in him; Purple wanted him, the way he was tasting Red was like he was sugar deprived and Red was his sweet salvation. Nothing in the universe could compare to this moment.

He was lost to Purple's taste and touch until he felt a hand on the back of his head and fingers curl around his skull. Immediately, he snapped back to himself, Red pulled back and scowled at Purple's freed hand.

"How the _Irk_ did you get free?" Red swore.

Now that his mind was freed from the delicious sensations of Red, Purple's thoughts cleared enough for him to look guilty. "Sorry," he mumbled and placed his hand back up above his head.

Though Purple tried to hide it, Red saw his PAK extension slip back inside. The restraint had been cut in half with a laser. " _Purple,_ " Red said exasperated. "You _promised_."

"I couldn't help it!" Purple said in his defense. "Red, I feel so much need. It's driving me crazy," he whined.

Red tried to stay angry, but couldn't. He was doing this Purple. He was sending his mate past the point of conscious thoughts and giving him so many good feelings that he was acting without thought. Red smirked down at him. "Would you like release?"

" _Yessss,"_ Purple hissed his eyes narrowed, but glazed.

Red let go of Purple's male organ and trailed his fingertip along Purple's antennae making Purple shudder. "Beg me," Red whispered and wrapped his tongue around the other stalk.

His mate moaned, everything so sensitive and right at the edge. " _Please_ ," Purple breathed the word. "Mate with me. Fully. Now."

Red's breath caught in his throat. Purple was begging him. It lit his senses on fire. He licked the base of Purple's antennae. He hadn't planned on mating with him yet, but hearing Purple beg him was too much for Red. He couldn't control himself anymore. He just had to face the truth, he would never have full control over Purple. He wasn't sure if Purple realized it, but Red knew that his mate could control him fully. All Purple had to do was ask.

Stripping quickly, Red shivered and moaned when he pealed off his pants and his male organ fully extended. The need to mate came over him so intently and he thrust his organ inside of Purple, wrapping his arms around his mate, latching on. Purple gasped at the sudden feeling, his fingers and toes curling at the feeling. Red moved his PAK legs out from under Purple's hips, allowing Purple more movement. He ground his hips up and Purple's male organ pressed against Red wiggling against his skin for friction. The hand Purple freed wrapped around Red's head, his fingertips caressing Red's antennae. Red almost lost control again, but pulled himself back.

Keeping himself firmly planted inside his mate, Red felt his organ trace the edge inside Purple, seeking to go deeper. The opening deep inside Purple relaxed, letting Red's tip slip past the small ring of muscles. Red knelt on the bed, Purple's hips in his lap. He wrapped his hand around Purple's male organ and when the deepest part tightened down on his tip, Red mimicked the sensations on Purple's organ, sending them both over the edge of that pleasured release at the same time.

Purple's voice was a mix of relief and pleasure as that long building feeling finally found release in the most intense way. His male and female organs reaching that peek of pleasure simultaneously. He could feel Red shiver reaching his release as well. The pulsing pleasure waves enveloped them both until Red collapsed down on top of him. Not long after they shuddered in unison as their mating organs withdrew, well-used and over sensitive. Nestled safely and comfortably behind their sealed skin, their organs' sensitivity died down until they were both able to think clearly again.

Red moved first to unlock the three remaining restraints on Purple's limbs, despite knowing that Purple could free himself whenever he wanted. Purple flexed his ankles and rubbed his wrists, the bruising that couldn't be helped already fading. They faced each other on the bed, Red watching him thoughtfully before frowning.

At Purple's inquisitive antennae quirk, Red spoke, "I didn't get to use all the extensions," he said a bit disappointed.

"Oh," Purple felt his face flush blue and he continued to rub and study his wrists even though there was nothing wrong with them. "Well, as long as I'm not restrained..." Purple said trailing off and feeling embarrassment so strongly that he couldn't look at Red. He kept remembering Red's face during that whole thing and it was almost enough to make his organ want to come out again. _Almost._

Red's antennae perked up in surprise as he studied his mate and grinned. "I'll just hang on to them for a while longer then."

Purple's head shot up so fast Red almost heard it crack. Purple pinned him with piercing and narrowed eyes. "You are _NOT_ giving anything that you used on me back to Mik. No Irken other than me will _ever_ see or know you have them. Got it?"

Red blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought about that. But Purple made a compelling argument. There was no way he was letting Mik have anything that touched his mate, and he felt embarrassed just _thinking_ about one of the snack or cleaning drones that sometimes came into their rooms finding them.

"I propose a new law," Red said. "Unless given very strict or specific orders, no Irken other than the Tallest is allowed in the Tallests' Chambers."

"Agreed," Purple nodded instantly.

* * *

Two weeks passed and besides the addition of mating in their down-time Red and Purple found themselves falling back into their regular routine with ease. Despite the rapidly forming cells, there hadn't been much different in Purple's body nor in his appetite. The smeet growth slowed and the smeet was still too small to have much of an effect. His sugar levels were at a constant level and their continuous mating was having no visible effect on the smeet. His body was just absorbing the extra genetic material. However, after the third day when Mik commented on the continuous presence of mating fluids and he was able to determine the exact hour they were mating; they decided to only fully mate when there would be enough time for the fluids to dissolve.

Red wasn't complaining he looked forward to every time they mated, but he was starting to get worried about Purple. They didn't fully mate within five hours of seeing Mik, but the past few days it was Purple who was starting to push that limit, even though it was Purple who made the rule. The last time they were on the bridge Red started to pick up a slight sweet scent from Purple. When he looked at his co-leader, Purple had this glazed and dazed look on his face until he felt Red's eyes on him. Then his vision sharpened and the scent increased. Red made up some quick random excuse as to why they suddenly had to go back to their chambers. The door barely closed behind them before Purple latched onto him and they ended up mating against the couch, not having even made it on the couch itself.

Red loved every moment of their matings. He relished the way Purple looked at him. The hunger he saw in his mate's eyes was thrilling and the possessiveness they felt for each other was almost tangible. However, when they weren't mating Purple would sometimes just stare off into nothing and Red noticed his work quality was decreasing. Purple had always been faster and more efficient when it came to reports and busy work, but now he was just as efficient as Red was on an average day, which was just barely finishing what was required. Red knew something was wrong, he just didn't know what. He tried bringing it up with Purple, but he became defensive and Red didn't want to upset him.

So there was only one person he could go to. Red hovered into the medical bay and Mik turned from the screen to see who entered. Upon spotting him, his eyes widened and he rushed over.

"My Tallest, are you hurt? Ill? Dying?" Mik asked close to panic.

"No, I'm fine-"

"-Is it Tallest Purple? Is he hurt? Is something wrong with the smeet? Is he dying?" Mik asked each question spurning him on causing the medic drone to become even more frantic.

"No!" Red pushed down the medic as he had popped up on his PAK legs. "He's fine, well, not fine, but not bad either. Nothing's wrong, but something is."

Mik stared up at his Tallest in utter confusion. "My Tallest, I don't understand."

Red gave a grunt of frustration and his face flushed blue. Shlen was absent, working on data in one of the other labs as lately Purple hated having more than Mik around for his check-ins. This was why Red only had a small window to discuss his worries. "We're mating a lot," he blurted out wanting to just get this over with. "It's not always a full mating, because Purple didn't like you knowing whenever we did mate. So he made a rule that we wouldn't mate too close to his check-ins, but now he wants to break that rule, all the time. He seems a lot less focused and he is constantly making that sweet scent. I think even the drones are noticing and he's _mine,"_ Red snarled. "No one can have that scent but me." As soon as his anger came it left and he sighed. "He's just acting a little off, not his usual self. It's worrying."

"I see," Mik said slowly. "And you have spoken to Tallest Purple about this?"

"I tried, but he gets stubborn about it and you know how he is," Red shrugged. "Can you just do some extra scans or something? Without letting him know? He'll get mad if he knows I talked to you about our...time alone together."

"Yes," Mik said slowly absorbing this new information and trying to think about it's significance, if it had any. "Perhaps this is normal behavior, or a reaction to something. Have you also noticed any changes in yourself? Do you also give off this sweet scent?"

"I don't think I've changed," Red frowned, "but Purple says I smell sweet too, I can't smell it though, Purple can't pick up his own scent either."

Mik hummed thoughtfully. "My Tallest, please step into that scanning tube," he gestured to one along the wall and Red stepped in, the glass door closing behind him. Mik turned on the mic so they could still communicate. "I'm going to run some more through scans, this could take some time, please make yourself comfortable."

Red leaned against the wall, shifting his shoulders until he found a comfortable position for his PAK. The tube scanned him and the floor lit up. On his screen Mik reviewed the data and even went as far as to analyze the air inside the tube hoping to pick up some sort of chemical scent, however his scans were relieving nothing abnormal.

Soon enough Purple entered the Med lab. Out of habit he went right over to the scanner in the corner. It wasn't until he passed the tube Red was in that he finally noticed him. Stopping mid-step, he backed up to check to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Sure enough Red was staring right back at him. He even gave a small wave.

"What are you doing in there? What is he doing in there?" Purple turned to Mik not waiting for Red to answer. He wasn't even sure if Red could hear from inside the tube.

"I am doing a through scan of him, My Tallest," Mik said. "I want to compare past data to current data. Today I would like to do a more through scan of you as well. Would you please step into the neighboring tube?"

Tallest Purple's antennae twitched in annoyance, but he stepped into the tube. Mik let the machine complete its scan and he reviewed the data. There were no differences in Tallest Purple's data, his sugar levels were normal. Nothing seemed out of place. And the air filtration scanners were not picking up any difference in air particles. Tallest Purple did not seem to be acting oddly at all. Both Tallest appeared to be completely normal. The normalcy of their data was almost identical. Now that Mik could compare them side by side, they had nearly identical readings.

Mik's spooch suddenly clenched in a very unpleasant manner. His PAK began working overtime as his mind filled with alarm. Tallest Purple was growing a smeet in his reproductive sack, his data should _not_ be identical to Tallest Red's. He needed more conclusive data to fight off the growing fear in his spooch.

"M-My Tallest," Mik tried to sound as calm as he could. "I would like a blood sample from both of you."

They begrudgingly consented and Mik opened the tubes so they could leave the scanners. Mik retrieved two sterile syringes as he turned back to them he saw Tallest Purple watching Tallest Red intensely. Tallest Red's antennae began to twitch and he glanced back at his co-leader then quickly turned his attention to Mik and slightly nodded in Tallest Purple's direction. Mik didn't know what Tallest Red was doing until he stepped closer and his antennae began to pick up the faintest of scents. In any other area of the Massive he would have ignored the scent, but one rule of the med lab was that there were no snack allowed. If Mik picked up the faint sweet smell in the halls or any other area of the ship he would have assumed that the scent was from an Irken that recently had snacks or one walked by with snacks. In any other job on the Massive snacking was allowed anytime, but in the lab food particles could interfere with the delicate scanners and equipment. Mik's unyielding rule was that there were no snacks allowed.

"Actually I need you both back into the tube, right this moment I forgot to do one important scan," Mik lied smoothly wanting to take a sample of what he undoubtedly knew to be the mating scents that Tallest Red spoke of. He ushered them back inside, using his PAK legs to hurriedly prod them back into the tubes. The gesture was so outrageous that both Tallest let themselves be herded back inside due to shock. Mik locked the tubes and quickly took air samples, scanning for air particles.

This time his scans were successful. Mik kept his eyes glued to the screen where the data was displayed. This was most interesting. There were two unique formulas, chemical in nature. The basic forms of the scents were sugar based, slightly altered for a more chemical design. Mik wondered what purpose the scent could have and if this was the cause of Tallest Purple's supposed change in behavior. After a few moments, the machine informed him that the air was clear of strange particles again. Frowning, Mik turned back to the tubes and saw both Tallest watching him expectantly.

"Well?" Tallest Purple said crossing his arms. "Did you do the scan? Can we go now?" Besides him Tallest Red looked confused and expectant.

Mik was curious. "One last test," he hold them. The computer, having the chemical make up of the scent, could easily replicate it. He pumped in the scents he was picking up from either Tallest back into their tubes and waited. After a few moments with no changes and the only scent reported the one the computer was pumping in, Mik switched the scents. Putting the one from Tallest Red into Tallest Purple's tube and visa-versa. Almost instantly, the scanner began picking up the Tallests' unique scents being emitted. Tallest Purple became distracted from what Mik was doing and turned to focus onto Tallest Red, watching him intently. Tallest Red's eyes darted between Mik and his mate.

"Mik," Tallest Purple said, keeping his eyes on the Irken in the tube next to him. "You have thirty seconds to let us out. You can do more scans tomorrow."

"But My Tallest, I require more-"

"-Twenty-five seconds," Tallest Purple interjected as his PAK opened and his PAK legs braced themselves against the glass. "Until I break this tube open. I am _done_ with scans. Do not try my patience."

Mik began to panic, unsure what to do. Tallest Purple was the last Irken you wanted to anger and Mik did not know how the scents were creating such a hostile reaction. Fearful, he cut off the scents and turned to unlock the tubes. However, he stilled when he noticed the data from the other scans. He was a thorough scientist and had the machines running constant scans on his Tallest while his experiment was going on. Mik's eyes widened, Tallest Purple's sugar levels were dropping drastically.

Panicked, Mik searched the information to find what was happening. What was going on in his Tallest's body that the sugar was being depleted so quickly and why wasn't Tallest Purple going into a sugar shock? Fearing the worst Mik checked on Tallest Red's data and was shocked to find that his sugar levels had increased slightly. Nothing too drastic, the levels would have been the same if he had just eaten a large amount of snacks, but he had been in the lab.

However, he would have to worry about that later, as Tallest Red was in no immediate dangers. Mik gasped aloud as he thought of the smeet. If Tallest Purple's sugar levels were dropping what was happening to the smeet? In the background he heard Tallest Purple count down from ten and fully panicked Mike's started screaming as his three fingered-hands began furiously typing to pull up the data on the smeet's scan.

If the smeet died, surely the Control Brains would have him declared defective and his data erased and his PAK detached and he would be thrown from the air lock. Behind him glass shattered and Mik continued to scream in a high pitched panicked shriek. He barely noticed that Tallest Purple did not attack him, but turned to open Tallest Red's tube.

The smeet. The smeet. The smeet! The machine had scanned Tallest Purple in time. It was the smeet sucking up all of Tallest Purple's sugar. This couldn't be good, if this continued the smeet would cause Tallest Purple to go into a sugar shock.

"We're leaving," Tallest Purple said.

"NO!" Mik cried and slammed his fist on the big red button next to his screen. Immediately the exits were sealed with reinforced metal doors, preventing PAK lasers from cutting through. Pink alarm lights flickered in the room and both Tallest tensed as an automated voice spoke calmly inside the lab.

" **An Emergency intervention has been activated. This indicates an Irken is trying to escape essential treatment. Please state the Irken to be retrieved and the nature of the Emergency.** "

"Tallest Purple! Sugar shock!" Mik shouted pointing at the Tallest, though the gesture was unnecessary. The scanners in the medical lab could immediately identify and locate any Irken in the lab. Both Tallest immediately went into a fighting stance as tendrils came from the ceiling.

" **Do not resist. This for your own good. Emergency authorization allows for this unit to use non-lethal methods to restrain and subdue target and any interfering parties.** "

"MIK!" Tallest Purple shouted as he dodged a tendril and used his PAK leg to knock aside another. Beside him Tallest Red used his PAK laser to destroy the stunning prod aiming for them. "What on _IRK_ are you doing?!"

"Your smeet is sucking up all your sugar! By all accounts you should be in a sugar shock," Mik cried waving his arms around.

" _What_?!" Tallest Purple whipped his head around to stare at him, the news momentarily distracting him, which was all the computer system needed. A second stun gun dropped from the ceiling and took two shots at both Tallests. Tallest Red dropped to his knees, the shot tightening all his muscles and rendering him immobile. Tallest Purple was caught immediately and with quick efficiency, a locking mechanism was attached to his PAK, shutting all his PAK legs inside. He was then strapped to a medical table and an emergency sugar IV was attached to his arm. Before Tallest Red could recover, he was picked up and his PAK was also locked before he was placed back into one of the scanning tubes.

The flashing lights turned off as the tendrils retreated back into the ceiling. " **Emergency situation has been neutralized. Scanning Head Medical drone Mik's clearance... Would you like a copy of this incident to be sent to the Control Brains?** "

"No!" Mik said quickly. "That is not necessary."

" **Acknowledged. Have a nice day,** " the computer said before shutting off all emergency protocol. The secondary protection doors opened and the lab became silent.

Mik immediately ran over to Tallest Purple. "My Tallest, how do you feel?"

"I feel like killing you!" he snapped back.

A banging on the glass pulled Mik's attention to Tallest Red. He pointed to the communication button next to the tube. Mik pushed it so he could hear Tallest Red.

"What about Pur's sugar levels?" He asked.

Mik had a scan run over Tallest Purple. Mik's eyes widened. "This... this can't be right."

"What?" both Tallest asked worried, though Tallest Purple was more annoyed.

"This reading says that your levels are normal, well, slightly above normal now due to the IV," Mik said.

"I could have told you that," hissed Tallest Purple. "I feel fine. Now let me out of this so I can strangle you."

"What about the smeet?" Tallest Red asked, still worried.

"The data is back to the original reading," Mik reported.

"See?" Tallest Purple said irritated.

Mik frowned. "But this isn't good either. My Tallest, nothing is making any sense. Tallest Purple's sugar levels are reading completely normal, nearly identical to Tallest Red, who is of identical height and thus has the same need for sugar intact and consumption as Tallest Purple."

Tallest Purple _tisk_ -ed loudly. "So what exactly is the problem? I'm normal. Now let me up and unlock my PAK. _Now._ "

"I can't believe I missed this earlier," Mik said more to himself, but in his defense he had never had to deal with anything like this before. "But Tallest Purple is growing a smeet, his sugar levels should _not_ be the same as before. They should be lower, as the smeet will be taking up much of his sugar in order to..." Mik suddenly trailed off and turned to his computer to hastily look up all the data since the smeet had formed. He ignored his Tallest's attempts to get his attention to explain himself. Mik wanted to kick himself. He _should_ have seen this sooner.

The smeet's development had been rapid at first, the initial formation stage did not require much from the parent Irken as it was merely joining the two DNAs to form a new being. The next stage was the growth stage, when the smeet _should_ be growing rapidly in size until it reached full smeet size. The third stage was processing, where the smeet's squeedlyspooch began to grow and mature ensuring that it could function, this was also the stage where the brain would fully develop and allow for independent functioning.

In cloning, it was this final brain development stage that was lacking in cloned smeets. Without a PAK to aide in brain functioning, the cloned smeet would become nothing more than a mass of organs and flesh. There was something entirely unique, unexplained and utterly un-duplicateable that happened with natural born organisms.

By Mik's calculations and from the data from past natural smeet developments, at this point Tallest Purple's smeet should be in the growth stage, yet his smeet had yet to grow rapidly in size. It should be at least a few centimeters long, from antennae to toes, however, the scan showed that while the body was fully formed, it had not grown more than a centimeter inside it's protective casing inside the reproductive sack. The question was why?

If the smeet required more sugar to grow, it would take it from Tallest Purple's body, thus requiring Tallest Purple to have low sugar levels and require more frequent snacks to keep up. However, this was not the case. Tallest Purple's body was functioning normally and it was the smeet that wasn't absorbing the sugar.

It just didn't make any sense. Something was clearly wrong, but he had no idea what. And just a moment ago the levels said Tallest Purple was in sugar shock, but looking back on it Mik did not see any other signs that his Tallest was suffering from lack of sugar. He would go see the Control Brains about this. He would bring his data and see if they could find any information in the old archives. Something was wrong, the smeet was not growing and an Irken didn't just have sugar shock then not have it without any intervention.

However, Mik knew better than to leave the Tallest here. Neither would agree to stay here when he couldn't give them any defining answers. "My Tallest," Mik detached the IV. "I need to consult the the Control Brains on a few matters, I believe it best that you return to your private quarters. I will come by soon and check your sugar levels again." Mik was still very distraught about the whole thing so he quickly left even though his Tallest were calling after him.

"He forgot to take the restraints off our PAKs," Purple scowled at the door. There was no way he was doing to march down the halls to their chambers with such an obvious device on his PAK.

"We'll have to wait for his return here," Red agreed with his own frown. He didn't want to leave with the device on his PAK either. "How long do you think he'll be gone?" Red mused.

"It better not be long, I want to go eat snacks," Purple said sitting on top of the table he had just been strapped to. He crossed his arms indignantly.

"When did you last eat?" Red asked feeling a twinge of worry. He knew there would be no snacks in the med bay, not even hidden ones. Even if Purple looked fine, there had been a moment when sugar shock was detected. He supposed that if Purple _did_ need sugar they were in the right place with all the IVs, but Red had no idea how to operate the medical computers; besides they only responded to the medical drones.

Purple rolled his eyes at the obvious concern. "I'm fine. We had snacks at the last meeting. I'd just rather be snacking than waiting here."

"That's true," Red said feeling a bit silly for feeling so worried. Taking Purple's lead he also sat down on the table to wait. He was a Tallest and he didn't stand around to wait for anyone.

Not even five minutes had passed before Red picked up on the slightest of sweetness in the air. Red chanced a peek at his partner and was surprised to find Purple intently studying him. "What?" Red asked a bit weary.

"Stop it," Purple said shortly with a furrowed brow.

"Stop what?" Red asked.

Purple glared at him. "You _know_ what."

"No, I don't," Red countered getting annoyed himself that Purple was attacking him about something he had no clue about.

"Your scent," Purple hissed. "I let it slide until now, because I enjoy mating too and don't mind shortening our work hours here and there so we can have more time to ourselves. We deserve it, but _not_ now, Red. We can't leave the lab without looking weak to the crew and I do _not_ want Mik to come back in the middle of it."

Red blinked stunned for a moment before anger rose up, "No, _you_ are the one making the scent. _You_ are the one that didn't want to mate too soon before coming here and the past few cycles it's been _you_ that has been trying to break that by fully mating. You make that sweet scent all the time and we mate a lot, much more now. I like mating, I like it a lot, but _you_ were the one that put the limit on and now you want to break it. I tried talking to you about this before but you became angry. So what _do_ you want, Pur?"

Purple looked slightly taken aback by Red's outburst. "I thought you were making the scent on purpose and then mocking me for reacting to it."

"Well, I'm not," Red said crossing his arms in a huff. _Again_ Purple was showing how he didn't trust him. There was a silent moment and Red refused to look at Purple sitting next to him.

"Do you think this is why PAKs stop the mating capacity of Irkens?" Purple asked somberly. "I can't be around you for too long before I catch your scent and then all I want to do is mate. I like mating and I thought you were making the scent on purpose so it didn't bother me, but if you can't control your scent and I can't control mine, is this how isn't going to be now? We won't ever have control again? Eventually this is going to affect our duties."

Red turned to face his mate. Purple had his fingers laced and resting between his knees. Frowning he stared at the floor lost in his worrisome thoughts. Purple was right, if this was the norm now it would affect their duties and eventually they would have conflict with the Control Brains. Red knew he would never give up Purple. What were they going to do?

He tried to find something encouraging to say to his mate, but Red didn't know what to say. Luckily, the heavy silence was broken as the doors to the medical bay opened and Mik entered with Shlen at his side. Mik was typing away at his reader then passed it over to his assistant.

"Give that to the snacking hold and have then adjust the snack deliveries to them as I have instructed. After that head to the bridge and have them make the adjustments to their schedule and snack selection as listed," Mik said handing over the reader.

"Yes, sir," Shlen saluted before scurrying out the med lab doors.

"My Tallest," Mik said relieved to see them where he last left them. "I have spoken with the Control Brains and they have given me some of the archival medical data they found on smeeting Irkens. Tallest Purple," Mik said standing in front of him with a very serious expression. "I need you to be honest in your answers to my questions."

Purple, already worked up about their situation, nodded.

"Now," Mik began pulling another reader out of his PAK and pulled up the screen he was looking for. Once ready he tapped on the screen and began asking his questions. "How often are you eating snacks and has the amount changed at all?"

"Um," Purple furrowed his brow as he thought. He knew he snacked a lot, but no more than normal and it was hard to consciously remember, it was like asking how many breaths he took in a minute.

"The longest he's been without snacking is an hour," Red butt in. "But that isn't very often. Usually it's no more than thirty minutes between snacks or at least a constant but low snacking."

Purple gave Red an odd look and Red's cheeks tinted blue when he noticed and he quickly looked away.

"I see," Mik commented as he typed, not looking up. "So there has not been an increase or decrease then."

"No," Purple said quickly and glared at Red. He could answer for himself, thank you. "Nothing's changed."

"Yes, well then, how often is Tallest Red releasing mating fluids inside of you?" Mik asked bluntly and looked up to get his answer.

Purple felt his face flush and he didn't dare look at Red, his eyes were wide and somehow he couldn't break away from the head medical drone's stare. "I am _not_ answering that," he hissed feeling his face flush brighter with blue.

"In the past few cycles it's been every two to four hours," Red answered in a small voice.

"Red!" Purple glared at his partner feeling a little betrayed and highly embarrassed.

"He wouldn't ask if it wasn't important," Red said defensively.

Before Purple could start arguing Mik spoke up coming to Red's rescue. "It is indeed important. My Tallest," he addressed Purple. "Your smeet should have started its growth period by now. In this stage the smeet's body increases quickly in size to its maxium growth. After this the body begins to mature into a self-sustaining form and the organic brain begins to reach it's full development. When both body and brain are fully developed, that is when it will expel itself from the reproductive sack.

"Your smeet, My Tallest, has not started the second phase. It has stopped after the cell formation phase in which the two different genetic materials from both giver and receiver form the new smeet. Your smeet has finished forming, but it is not growing." Mik paused to make sure both Tallest were understanding him.

"What's that mean?" Purple asked not willing to admit that something was wrong.

"It means that your smeet is lacking the necessary nutrients needed to expand its body," Mik explained. "I have consulted with the Control Brains and their records indicate that it was a common occurrence for first time smeeting Irkens' bodies to have difficulty switching into the second phase. In this phase the Irken's body has to adjust by sending nutrients to both the Irken and the smeet. If the body is having difficulty sending nutrients to the smeet through the smeeting Irken's body, then the body may seek alternative ways of supplying nutrients to the smeet or temporarily triggering that response."

"What alternative ways?" Red asked afraid he knew where this was going.

"According to the archival data, only a small percentage of the smeet-making genetic material is released from the giving Irken. The rest of the material is a glucose based compound that assists in connecting the giving and receiving Irkens' genetic material."

"So, sugar?" Purple asked.

"Yes," Mik confirmed. "And since the main nutrients that a smeet needs, or any Irken for that matter, is sugar the body will adjust itself to increase the chances that sugar can be supplied directly to the smeet. Of course, this alone is not enough to sustain growth, as we can see in this case, but it does provide enough to keep the smeet sustained until interventions can be made." Noticing Tallest Purple's concerned expression Mik hastily continued.

"This situation is easily remedied, My Tallest. Irken bodies have a high self-preservation rate so if you increase your sugar and snack intake to the point where your body is saturated then that will aid in pushing your body into sending the leftover nutrients to the smeet. What I need to know is that rate that the smeet was getting nutrients, and of course I will need to know the exact amount of nutrients, then I can calculate your body's saturation level along with the amount of nutrients the smeet will need to continue into the growth phase. With that information I can come up with a snacking schedule that will ensure a safe and healthy smeeting," Mik finished with an encouraging smile, however Tallest Purple did not seem reassured. If anything he looked nearly depressed.

"Wait, wait, wait," Red spoke up drawing Mik's attention. "What do you mean by 'sample'?" he asked dreading the answer.

"Just that," Mik said with a frown, confused by Tallest Red's confusion. "I will need a sample of the amount that you release when mating. I can analyze the sugar saturation and use that in my calculations."

"And just how do you expect me to get the sample, huh?" Red asked blue blazing across his cheeks.

"Oh," Mik said and went over to his lab equipment. He opened a drawer and came back with a small pod-like container. "I had the computer make this after my consult with the Control Brains. It is a thin flexible membrane-like sleeve that will fit over your male reproductive organ. In your next mating, the released material will be collected in here. Simply remove the sleeve and place it back in the pod and deliver it to the lab. I will need this as soon as you are able," Mik said. "I can increase Tallest Purple's snack intake but until I have all my calculations completed I will not know what is the proper saturation amount."

"Just increase the amount of sugar until it works," Red persisted. "We're not doing that," he pointed to the pod. "Right, Purple?" Red turned to his partner, desperate to be defended in this.

"No, we're not," Purple said his voice flat. Instantly Red knew something was wrong. Purple pushed away from the table. "I don't care if the smeet dies. In fact, I'd prefer it did. I hate what it's doing to me. I hate that it's controlling by body. I hate it," Purple spat before turning away and leaving the med lab, not caring if his PAK was still sealed or not.

Mik and Red were stunned. It wasn't until the doors closed behind Purple that Mik began to panic. "What? What? WHAT?" he flailed his arms around. "He can't! He...he has to be stopped. Computer, initiate code- _hrmgh_ ," Mik wasn't able to finish as Red's hand clamped over his mouth.

"Before you go making things worse," Red glared at the panicked Irken. "Let me go talk to him first." Mik nodded and Red let him go. "You should probably release my PAK first, I might need it."

"Oh, yes, of course," Mik said and used his PAK legs to prop himself up to reach Tallest Red's PAK. After entering the override code the locking device opened and fell to the floor with a clank. "Oh, wait, Tallest Red," Mik called out and Red turned. "You forgot this," he said and held up the pod. "It is for the benefit of Tallest Purple."

Red glared at the little medic, "Only because I know of your connection with the Control Brains," Red scowled at him, but he snatched up the pod and hid it safely in his PAK. Then he left to find his distressed mate.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red won their bet, But when it comes to dominance Purple can't help but take what he wants. I wanted to show a little more about their dynamic and their respect for each other. Their whole lives they've been on par with each other and that is reflected in their relationship. However, I think Purple is a little meaner, a little more selfish. Red can come off as more 'intelligent' or 'savvy', but Purple is way more stubborn and sly. 
> 
> Their relationship is very different from Zim and Dib. Theirs is more of a constant battle for who's dominant. Zim views himself as superior, but his flaws make it easy for Dib to take the lead in their relationship as well. I imagine them in a constant race, with one of them just a step ahead at a time. And it works for them. They both love and thrive off of that rivalry.


	23. Their Smeet and His Embarrassment

Red entered their chambers knowing this was where Purple had gone. Since Purple wasn't in the common space Red hurried over to Purple's room, hoping that his mate hadn't locked himself in the closet again. Thankfully the door to his room was unlocked and as Red approached it opened for him. Inside he almost tripped over the gauntlet lying on the floor. Looking up Red followed the path of discarded armor pieces and Tallest robes into Purple's cleansing chamber. Poking his head inside he found Purple sitting in the gel bath in his black under cloths. Purple's knees were tucked up to his chin and his back was turned to Red, but Purple's antennae twitched letting Red know his presence had been detected. Purple didn't say anything and Red took that as a silent invitation. Stripping down to his black clothes as well, Red stepped into the gel bath and sat next to Purple against the wall.

He could almost feel the stubborn vibes coming off of Purple, daring Red to try and force him into going back to the med bay. Red knew better than that, so instead he sat in silence next to his partner and waited. After a while Purple glanced quickly over at him.

"Aren't you going to bring me back? You could. I bet Mik has unlocked your PAK," Purple said bitterly.

"I could," Red agreed as he eased down and made himself more comfortable. "But I won't."

"Why?" Purple turned to ask looking down as Red rested his head on the edge of the bath and stretched out his legs.

"I'm not going to fight a battle I know I will loose," Red answered finally looking up at Purple with a small smirk.

Purple didn't smile back, but Red could sense the tension ease from his partner and he relaxed just a little. Purple looked away first and grew silent once again. Eventually he sighed and scooted down in the gel to match Red with his head resting on the edge and his legs stretched out.

"I don't like it," Purple said breaking the silence.

"Don't like what?" Red asked though he had an idea of what Purple meant.

"The smeet," Purple scowled.

"Why?" Red asked.

Purple's scowl deepened before he shifted to loom over Red. "I don't like how much control it has over me, without me even noticing. And how it can control you too. I hate it," he hissed.

"Control?" Red repeated looking up at Purple. "What do you mean?"

Despite the blue suddenly appearing on Purple's cheeks his expression didn't change. "Mating, the smeet is making us mate."

Red frowned in confusion. "What?"

"You heard Mik," Purple exasperated. "The smeet is influencing my body into mating with you just so it can have sugar. "

"Yes, and he said he'd work out a sugar intake plan so we could get through our work schedule," Red said.

"That's not what I'm—," Purple cut himself off and moved to sit beside Red again. Crossing his arms he stared out stubbornly at the gel bath and refused to look at Red.

It took Red a few moment to put the pieces together. "Purple," he began slowly to make sure he said this right. "Do you think that the only reason we mate with each other is because of the smeet? Are worried that when you no longer have the smeet we won't want to mate with each other anymore?"

Purple didn't say anything and remained still, however his antennae twitched, unable to remain still. Purple did that when he didn't want to admit something, usually it was stealing the last donut.

Anger flashed through Red and he sat up. How could Purple think that when Red spent all that time carefully enticing Purple to mate with him in the first place? As suddenly as it came Red's anger diminished. That was just it, Purple didn't know. "That's complete dookie," Red said with a sigh leaning back in the gel. "I think the lack of sugar has effected your brain. I've wanted to mate with you the moment we saw the vid."

Purple's angry retort died on his lips. He stared at Red. "You did?"

"Mm," Red said settling in further. "At first I was too embarrassed to realize it, but it didn't take me long to act on wanting to touch you did it?" Red smirked at Purple remembering the first time he had touched Purple's antennae. "We might have mated right there inside your closet if Mik hadn't interrupted. But he did, and it made your embarrassment go to the extreme. It took cycles of careful planning and sly attacks until you were comfortable enough to let your guard down. After that I just had to wait for the right moment to attack. There was no smeet then. Even now I don't think about the smeet when we mate. It might make you release more of your scent, but I don't want to mate because of the scent, I want to mate because the scent is _yours_. Aren't you the same?"

Purple absorbed this new information and found he was a little annoyed with himself that he never noticed Red had been hunting him. A lot of Red's closeness and 'accidental' touching made a lot more sense now. At the time Purple couldn't tell if it was normal or it if was his embarrassed mind being too sensitive. "You wanted to mate that whole time?" Purple asked.

Red shrugged. "We hadn't mated yet, so it wasn't that I wanted that specifically, but I did want to touch you, taste you and to make you release that sweet scent that wrapped around my antennae. I wanted to mate with you, to make you mine, so I did, but only when you wanted the same from me. I didn't want to act too quickly, I was afraid you'd run and hide again."

"I don't run and hide," Purple bristled at the accusation. "I'm not a coward."

Red's antennae perked and he raised one eye ridge. "The PAK incident, locking yourself in your closet and running from the med bay," Red said sitting up and leaning over his partner. "You run. You hide. You're not a coward Pur, but _Irk_ you can be so frustrating. You constantly doubt me and yourself. You. Are. A. Tallest. You are the most important Irken in the entire Empire and yet you think a single smeet can take control over you and me? It may be made up of half of your DNA and half of mine but it is still just a smeet, not even a functioning smeet, it has no control over you."

"Well, when you put it that way it makes me seem stupid," Purple glared at him, though there wasn't much anger behind it and it looked more like a pout to Red.

Red sighed. "Purple, you are the smartest Irken I know, yet you can be the stupidest one sometimes too."

Purple gasped, "Take that back, I'm _not_ as stupid as Zim."

Red eased back holding up his hands in appeasement. "You're right, the second stupidest."

Purple crossed his arms with a _humph_ but the anger was in gesture only, Red could tell from his scent that Purple wasn't mad anymore. Sure enough, Purple's antennae went into a relaxed position and he grew thoughtful.

"I haven't really thought about it like that before," Purple mused aloud.

"What? Being the second stupidest?"

"No," Purple rolled his eyes. "About the smeet," he looked down to study his abdomen. "It's not just any smeet. Half of its DNA is mine and the other half is yours. It will be like the two of us were cloned together," he said growing wistful. "I wonder if it will act like you too, bold and cheeky."

"Or stubborn and sly," Red added also studying Purple's belly. The thought of a small Purple-like smeet, with big purple eyes had him smiling. He said it to make a point, but it was true that the smeet wasn't just any smeet it was _their_ smeet. "It's our smeet," Red said rolling the phrase around on his tongue. He rather liked the idea. "Half you, half me. It will be half of us. Something we made together. Further proof that we're mates."

"Our smeet," Purple said, feeling pleased for the first time about the situation. A part of Red was growing inside him. All of Red belong to him and the smeet would also belong to him and Red. Theirs. Purple curled his fingers around his stomach. Half the smeet was made of Red and half was himself. Theirs. It belonged to them. He was not going to let anything bad happen to the half of Red that was growing within.

"Where are you going?" Red asked when Purple lifted himself out of the bath.

"To eat snacks, I want to feed it," Purple said. A moment later he tripped as Red's PAK tendril wrapped around his ankle. He caught himself before falling on his face and glared back at Red. Red grinned at him and then Purple caught the scent in the air.

The PAK tendril pulled him back towards the bath, towards Red, until Red was able to grab both of Purple's legs and pull him back into the gel. Two PAK legs came out and locked in place behind Purple, making an 'X' against his back. If he wanted to escape he'd have to fight rather hard, but it wasn't high on his list at the moment, especially with the scent Red was making and the dark possessive look in his eyes.

" _I_ want to feed it," Red purred and wrapped his tongue around Purple's antennae sending any thoughts of escaping right out.

As usual Red started out in control as he stripped them of all their clothing, but even with the aid of PAK legs he couldn't stop Purple from turning the tables on him and Red found himself pinned down in the gel bath with Purple on top of him. He didn't mind when Purple took control, in fact it was highly thrilling. When Purple wanted something he fought hard, he was scrappy and grew stronger each time. The fact that it was himself that Purple was fighting to get, to take and give pleasure...it was enough to send his PAK into overdrive. He almost became drunk on Purple's scent (which was an accomplishment as Irkens generally could not get drunk due their PAKs filtering out the dangerous effects of alcohol) and could do little more than moan as his male organ found its way deep inside his mate.

It wasn't long before he felt himself at the peak of pleasure, right after Purple reached the peak of his. Purple collapsed down on top of him, using his weight to keep Red under him and against the side of the gel bath. Red shuddered as his organ retracted and Purple let out a low noise at the sensation of Red's organ leaving him. A moment later Purple did the same as his own organ retreated.

Pushing back Purple glanced around the room and spotting their discarded clothes he stood and waded through the gel over to them. Picking up the first pair of black pants he inspected them before tossing them over to Red.

"These are yours," he said as Red caught them. They were indeed his, as Purple cut the feet part of his pants off. Next Purple picked up the two shirts and frowned, looking between them. "I can't tell which one is mine."

"Does it matter?" Red asked.

Purple looked up then down at the shirts. "No, not really," he said throwing one at Red while he dressed himself. "I'm going to stuff myself on snacks. We have some scheduled meetings in a few hours and I don't want to be...distracted," Purple said glancing at Red.

Red grinned widely in response until a thought occurred to him, "Ah, _Irk_ ," he swore. At Purple's inquisitive antennae perk he continued with a slight blue flush to his cheeks. "I forgot about getting a, um, sample for Mik."

"Oh," Purple said and took his time smoothing down his shirt. "When do you think you'll be able to give him a sample? Do you...want help?"

"Yes," Red answered immediately, imagining Purple helping him release his mating fluids just like how he helped Purple with his male organ when they mated. "In an hour, maybe?"

Purple nodded. "Let's snack until then," he said and Red thought that was an excellent plan.

* * *

Two hours after Tallest Red left, he returned to the med lab. Mik hopped off his chair to greet the Tallest. He noticed the blue flush on his Tallest's face, but he was most curious about how his Tallest seemed to find everything in the room so interesting, he looked everywhere but at Mik. There was _nothing_ on the ceiling, yet Tallest Red seemed to find it fascinating.

"My Tallest," Shlen, Mik's assigned lab assistant, saluted as he popped out from his own work station. Tallest Red scowled at the medic and the blue flush spread from his face and down his neck. Shlen noticed the odd coloring and grew concerned. "Is something the matter? Your complexion is turning an odd color." After asking, this only seemed to make it worse and Shlen glanced back at Mik anxiously.

Mik wasn't sure what was wrong either. He knew the blue flush had to do with the 'embarrassment' feeling that accompanied mating, but Tallest Purple wasn't in the room, so there was no cause for the feeling. "How is Tallest Purple?" Mik asked. He received a short message from Tallest Red a little over an hour ago saying that everything was fine, that he had been able to calm down his co-leader. Since the lock on Purple's PAK had been a quick one he was also able to remove it remotely at Red's assurance that it was not needed.

"He's fine, he went ahead to the meeting room," Tallest Red said looking at Mik for the first time. "I'm just stopping by to..." the rest of what he said was mumbled and Mik couldn't make it out.

"Yes?" Shlen asked eager to help his Tallest. "Can I assist you with anything? I have been reading all the information on mating and smeeting from the Control Brains as well."

His face still flushed, Tallest Red let out an annoyed sound and grabbed Shlen by his head and picked him up. The small medic rung his hands in worry and fear as Tallest Red walked over to the exit. He set the medic just outside of the med lab. "Stay there," he ordered then stepped back in letting the doors close in Shlen's face. Confused and concerned Mik watched as Tallest Red opened his PAK and came over to him.

"Here," he said flushing even brighter as he held out his hand.

Mik took what was in his hands and instantly his antennae perked up in understanding. This was the capsule that he had given Tallest Red in order to get a sample of mating fluids so he could create a more accurate eating schedule for Tallest Purple.

"Ah," Mik said looking up at his Tallest. "I see, your embarrassment is triggered by anything having to do with mating, not just with Tallest Purple. But why did you remove Shlen from the room before giving me your mating fluid sample? He is my assistant and will be helping me analyze your sample for sugar saturation."

Tallest Red covered his eyes with his hand and his antennae lay back in an annoyed and frustrated position. "I see why Purple hates coming here now," he said softly. "I don't want to give this to you," he said dropping his hand. "But because of your position I have to. I know he is your assistant and is looking up all that mating stuff, but he doesn't have to tell that to my face. I can only tolerate you knowing about everything since you have Control Brain level authority. I know he has access to the information, but that doesn't mean I am willing to tell him personally. And I don't want to know what he knows either," he continued. "I'd rather he not be present at all when we are discussing mating things."

"Why?" Mik asked not fully understanding. "Why does it matter if he is present or not when you know he will access all the data?"

"Because it's _embarrassing_ ," Tallest Red hissed. "Just do what you need to do and send us the updated eating schedule. I have a meeting to attend," he said shortly and left. When the door opened he glowered at Shlen who cowered under his Tallest's displeasure, but luckily Tallest Red did not do anything further and quickly left.

Shlen slunk back into the room, looking completely dejected. "W-What have I done to displease my Tallest?" he asked with a quivering lip.

Mik frowned at the exit. "I do not fully understand it myself, but it has something to do with the new emotions that accompany the activated mating desires in his PAK. I will consult with my expert about this emotion. It will not be productive, or healthy, to have the Tallest in a bad mood every time they come to the med lab. And if this is a normal reaction it could cause issues with the mating program on Irk. The Tallest are cooperating with us for the good of the Empire, but other Irkens might not be as willing to come to their medical check-ins. They do not possess the sense of will and duty that the Tallest do," Mik explained and he also added to himself that the Tallest wouldn't be coming at all if it were not for the direct order from the Control Brains.

* * *

"Hello, Mik, what's up?" the human on the screen said in greeting.

"Greetings, Human Dib," Mik said formally. He sat in his personal quarters for this conversation, as all his conversations with the human were conducted. It was agreed upon by both parties (and part of their initial agreement) that no other was to know of their association.

"I am consulting with you today about the 'embarrassment' feeling. This seems to be a complex and widely reactive emotion," Mik lamented.

"Oh, are they still having trouble around each other?" Dib asked. "It can take a while. Maybe you should set up some things like dates where—"

"—Oh, no, that is not an issue," Mik cut him off. "The Tallest have mated successfully and a smeet is growing. They are now a mated pair joined officially by the Control Brains and continue to frequently mate for bonding purposes. What I need clarification on is—"

"—Wait, hold on a second," Dib interrupted Mik holding up a hand to stall the Irken. Grinning widely he said, "I'll be right back," and bolted out of the room. The human did not silence the call so Mik could hear him shouting down the hall.

" _Zim! Hey, Zim! There you are—what are you doing on the ceiling?—wait, nevermind. Did you hear? Thanks to you and the video Mik made about mating, your leaders, your Tallest, had SEX with each other."_ Mik heard a loud and distinct thump, like something heavy had fallen. " _Yeah, they got NAKED and had hot sweaty SEX and now one of them is knocked up... what? No, I mean Purple—the one that has both parts like you—has a baby Irken growing inside him. And the only way that could have happened is if Red used his male parts with Purple's female parts to have SEX_." Mik heard a noise that sounded a lot like something was strangling a drowning gnorb beast, it was both high pitched and garbled.

Soon after Mik heard quickly approaching footsteps accompanied by a very distinct cry of _"Nooooooo!"_ and a flash of pink and green passed by the door the call screen was facing. A second later Dib appeared in the doorway and shouted down the hall after Zim.

" _Yeah! And apparently they're going at it like rabbits,"_ he paused a moment then added. " _Which means that they are having SEX a lot, because rabbits are known for having lots and lots of SEX!"_

In the background Mik could still the faint screaming of Zim as he ran further down into his base. Dib hung onto the door frame and listened to the fading screaming with a wide grin on his face. When it could no longer be heard Dib entered his room and sat back down in front of the screen.

"Thanks for waiting," he said cheerfully. "And, oh, congratulations on the success. I'd tell you to tell them, but they don't know about this whole thing so, I'll just congratulate you instead. This is the first naturally made Irken in—like—forever, right?"

"What was that about?" Mik asked highly confused.

"Oh, nothing. Zim is just really happy for his leaders. He just can't contain all the awesome feelings he has about this whole situation," Dib said brightly.

Mik eyed Dib suspiciously. "You are lying," he said coming to that conclusion.

Dib didn't stop grinning as he nodded. "Oh, yeah, very much so. Zim is fairly traumatized by the idea of his beloved leaders getting it on, even more so because they learned how to do so from his personal experiences. If any other Irken, especially his precious Tallests, found out about his involvement in all this I'm sure he would die of embarrassment," Dib said looking oddly pleased about the prospect.

The human's misplaced satisfaction would have to be a question for another time. Dib had just mentioned the very thing Mik was confused about. "Ah! Yes, that is exactly why I am calling. This embarrassment emotion is much more of an issue. It is not just caused by wanting to mate with another Irken, I have seen this emotion cause issues in other areas as well. For example, we needed a sample of Tallest Red's mating fluids in order to check for the sugar content, but when he came to drop off the sample his embarrassment made it difficult for him. He had to remove my assistant from the lab before he would give it to me, despite knowing that my assistant would also be handling the data and sample analysis. I fear that this emotion could cause greater problems on Irk if other Irkens need to pass in samples or cooperate with medical staff and it prevents them from doing so."

Dib stared at Mik as he said this all in a rush. With a loud sigh Dib set down his elbow on the desk in front of him and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Aw, man," he muttered. "I almost feel sorry for them." He sighed again then looked up making sure he had Mik's full attention. "You're right in thinking that Irkens are going to be really resistant to talk to any medical staff about _anything_ to do with their new emotions and body parts." Mik's eyes widened and he began hyperventilating ready to bust into an panic attack, so Dib quickly continued.

"However, there are ways to make it _easier,_ " he said and Mik began breathing normally. "Assign Irkens to a specific medic for all medical procedures or questions, don't let other medics be in the room when an Irken comes in for health check-up or whatever. The fewer medics one Irken has to deal with the less embarrassed they will be. Also the medics assigned should make sure to be very _gentle_ and _calm_ and _supportive_. They need to treat any information given or taken as delicate, almost like top secret, classified information. Even if other medics will look at the data, the specifics of the individual Irkens should never be discussed outside of the lab or in any area where other Irkens can hear. The Irken needs to trust their medic, otherwise everything could go wrong."

"Why is this necessary? Wouldn't it be more efficient to find a way to eliminate the embarrassment feeling?" Mik asked.

"Yes, but that's not how it works. Especially for you guys. No one in your culture knows much about sex. This will all be new and potentially scary."

"Scary?" Mik repeated with a scoff. "What is there to afraid of? Irkens are an amazing and brave race."

Dib sighed and tried to gather all his patience so when he spoke he was calm and didn't sound too exasperated. "You Irkens are used to having absolute control over your bodies and emotions. The filters you have damper emotions. Activating the reproductive parts of the brain heightens their emotions and physical sensations, sometimes to the point that it can overpower even the most rational thoughts. It can be unnerving. That newly activated body part cannot be controlled in anyway by the PAK and it can almost have _more_ control over their emotions and physical sensations than the PAK itself. For a race that thrives on control, I imagine that it can be overwhelming and intimidating, even more so if they have to talk about those feelings and sensations to Irkens who have _no idea_ what they are experiencing."

"I see," Mik said thoughtfully. He never thought about the Tallest's new reactions in such a way. He had no idea that the reproductive functionings had such control. It was no wonder the Control Brains had phased them out. However, he was still confused about one thing. "If this embarrassment feeling is so bad, and you seem to understand it so well, why do you take pleasure in seeing Zim enthralled by this emotion?"

"Ah, well," Dib rubbed the back of his neck, a slight pink appearing on his cheeks. He looked away for a moment then side glanced back at Mik. "I suppose if it's you, I can answer," he said facing the screen again with a shy lopsided smile. "It's cute," he said. "I like teasing him like that, he gets riled up so easily, it's endearing in it's own way. Of course I would never do anything like this in public or embarrass him so much so that he'd hate me."

"Causing too much embarrassment can be bad?" Mik asked.

"Oh yeah," Dib said nodding seriously. "If done in a malicious manner it can create vast amounts of hate, sometimes if the embarrassment is too public even if by accident it can be disastrous. The person embarrassed can be emotionally damaged, or they can react violently. It could end relationships, even if they are a mated pair," Dib explained and Mik's eyes widened at that. "I know Zim's limits. After years of fighting combined with our time living together we know each others' limits pretty well. So I know how much I can embarrass Zim before he resents me for it. Of course that doesn't mean after he's calmed down that he'll forgive me. He's usually pretty pissed about it actually," Dib shrugged and his smile shifted a little wider, though he seemed to try and hide it.

"Why does his anger please you?" Mik asked confused again.

"Oh, um," Dib blushed. "Because he usually tries to get even later."

"You fight?"

"Sometimes, but not usually. He tries to embarrass me to get even," Dib said.

"How does he embarrass you?" Mik asked trying to understand this complex emotion better.

Dib blushed hard and looked pointedly at Mik. However, the Irken was not that keen at picking up implied messages. Dib sighed and felt his face flame a little more as he remembered that last stunt Zim had pulled on him after Mik called. Dib rubbed his face working up the nerve. Could he explain in detail what Zim did when he was trying to get 'revenge' on Dib? Oh, hell no. He could not. Instead he said. "We do some mating things."

"How is that embarrassing? You are not newly mated and your culture is much more aware of sex is it not? How can mating be embarrassing for you?" Mik said a bit taken back.

"It's not the actual mating that's embarrassing," Dib mumbled. "It's the stuff beforehand."

"What kind of stuff?"

"I am NOT answering that."

"Why? You have to, we have an agreement," Mik reminded the human.

"My personal sex life has nothing to do with the agreement," Dib said not yielding on the subject.

"Of course it does, Zim is Irken and your partner, his actions and responses are important to know for our research," Mik said reasonably.

Dib knew a loosing battle when he saw one. "Zim can get creative with the pre-mating rituals because he likes to see my reactions, and no I am not going to explain further because how each couple acts is private and between the two partners." Dib crossed his arms and glared at the corner of the screen because he wanted to show that he would not budge on the topic, but while the memories where running through his head he couldn't look at another Irken and not be _explicitly_ reminded of Zim.

"What if I asked Zim to tell me about it?" Mik said slyly.

Dib gave a short laugh and felt better. "Even knowing how much it would embarrass me to tell you all the details, Zim—the selfish thing that he is—would never share those moments. They belong to us and to us only. You can't have them."

"I see," Mik said thoughtfully thinking about how protective and possessive the Tallest were of each other. It had to be a quality of a mated pair to act so secretive. It was a shame that Dib was human and that Zim was an outcast and banished Irken, otherwise he would have the two come and receive the Union mark from the Control Brains. "Thank you for the information Dib-human."

"Yeah, no problem," Dib said sounding a bit tired. "Hey let me know how the smeet turns out. Send me a picture or something if you can. I've never seen an Irken smeet before, it would be cool to see how Zim might have looked when he was just a teeny tiny little baby."

"I believe that can be arranged, Dib-human," Mik said. "Enjoy your revenge with Zim. Zim," Mik nodded a good-bye to the Irken looming behind the human.

"Medic drone," Zim said in acknowledgment, making Dib jump and turn not having noticed Zim creep into the room.

"Hey, Zim, I didn't hear you come upstairs," Dib said nervously.

"Revenge starts now," Zim said to Dib then reached out to shut off the call.

Mik stared at the black screen for a few moments longer wondering, but failing to come up with any idea on how the pre-mating rituals could provoke such strong reactions. In the name of science he almost wished that he had been chosen for the project as well, but it wouldn't do for the Head Medic to be anything but in full control of his body and mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time that Purple begin to think about the smeet as good. Before he viewed it as any other cloned Irken smeet, the only difference beginning that it was using his body to grow. Here he begins to see that their smeet will be different and a part of the both of them, or mostly he's interested in the idea the smeet will be a part of Red. 
> 
>  
> 
> I really love the idea of Zim being horribly embarrassed by any mention of his Tallest in any kind of romantic endeavor. I also love the idea that after running away and shoving the thought deep down into the darkest and least accessed part of his PAK memory, he calms down enough to get angry at Dib for making him feel that way knowing that the human takes great pleasure in seeing Zim so out of sorts. I also really really love the idea that Zim thinks the perfect revenge is to take his own pleasure from Dib while making Dib give off a completely embarrassed yet oh so delicious scent. During such acts of revenge Zim often boasts that, unlike Irk, the Earth internet is full of wonderfully wicked ideas that work as inspiration for his 'revenge' plans. After having incapacitating Dib, Zim will often go into great detail what his plan entails and where he found his inspiration. This, of course, is the first stage of his 'revenge' plan and those plans, unlike his take-over-the-Earth ones, have an 100% success rate


	24. The Need to Nest

Red intently watched his mate and co-leader. He kept a keen eye on Purple's tone, posture, antennae position and body movements. They've known each other for a long time and ever since becoming mates he'd become even more in-tune with Purple's behaviors. He noticed the sudden drive Purple had for their work. How could he not when Purple was making him work twice as hard as well? Well, truthfully Purple wasn't making him, but if Red started slacking off his partner would start glaring at him over his reader. Pissing off Purple never ended well for him, so he followed suit with Purple's new work habits. But now that Mik had brought it up, Red felt like there was something more going on besides an eagerness to get their work done.

It wasn't like Purple suddenly found all the tedious work fun, if anything his co-leader was starting to get more grumpy and irritated. More often that not Purple sat on their couch scowling at the readers and grumbling about the tediousness of it. What Red didn't get a chance to tell Mik (and he was sort of grateful that he didn't because he didn't _really_ want Mik to know) was that they hadn't mated in a few days. They used to mate multiple times a day, when Purple's sugar levels were unbalanced and once the new snacks came it was reduced to once or twice a day, depending on how long they were in their chambers. Red was fine with that, he just liked being in the same space as Purple. So even if it was reduced to ever other day he was fine.

He liked mating. He liked it a lot. He knew Purple liked it too, but when he tried to entice Purple earlier Purple insisted on finishing his work first. He was even a bit snappy about it. Red knew it wasn't because Purple had no interest in mating. He could still pick up Purple's mating scent quite strongly and he knew Purple could pick up his, but still Purple was more interested in work than he was in Red.

Something was up. If Purple was happy or even content with doing more work, then Red would just deal with their reduced mating times. However, as the days went on Purple's mood was declining as his work load increased. So Red watched. He studied. He analyzed. He only took his eyes off Purple when it was required or when Purple was about to catch on. While they were at the command center Red observed, during their routine meetings with active duty Invaders he took note of every muscle twitch. When they walked or hovered through the halls of the Massive he noticed the slight change in Purple's posture every time they passed another Irken. No other Irken would be able to notice any difference. If anything it was normal for Purple to be prone to random fits of irritation, to every other Irken things were normal, but not to Red.

By the time they finished their duties for the day and were back in their chambers to snack and enjoy the privileges of their rank, Red had reached a conclusion. As expected, despite all the work they had finished already, Purple went right to the couch and grabbed his reader. He turned it on and began sorting out the messages. Red peered over his shoulder. Nothing required their attention. Most of the items were reports or messages that could be dealt with at their leisure, small things they they could even send to a smaller to deal with. Yet Purple opened the first one and began reading.

Red acted not even aware of how angry he had become until he heard the reader smash against the opposite wall. Purple sat in stunned silence and watched the smashed pieces fall to the floor. It didn't take long for him to recover and he stood to glare back at Red, the couch separating them preventing Purple from reaching over and reflexively punching his co-leader.

"What the _Irk_ is wrong with you _,_ Red?" Purple snapped gesturing behind him with one hand.

Red glared back. "I could say the same."

Purple stared at him completely perplexed, but still very angry. _"What?"_

"Don't think I haven't noticed, Pur," Red continued advancing from around the couch. "You're doing that thing again."

"What thing? Red, you are acting crazy, brain-worms crazy," At his own words Purple frowned, most likely thinking over any possibility that could have resulted in Red catching the brain-worms. "I'm going to call Mik," he said moving himself behind the couch and out of Red's reach.

"Fine," Red said stubbornly crossing his arms as Purple turned to leave. "Then when he gets here you can explain why you're driving yourself to exhaustion with work."

The falter in Purple's step fueled Red's anger because it meant that his assumptions were correct. "What are you talking about?" Purple turned back to face Red, he tried to appear confused, but Red could tell from the twitch in his antennae that he was defensive.

Red used his PAK legs to vault over the couch and he stood eye to eye with Purple, challenging him to maintain eye contact. Purple was never one to back down from a challenge, so he stared right back. "I've learned a few things from all we've been though recently. I wish I noticed earlier, but looking back you've been like this ever since we reached the rank of Elites. What drives you, the motivation to be better, stronger, smarter, more superior is different from other Irkens." As Red spoke he carefully watched for even the tiniest reaction, and he saw it. A flicker, an internal acknowledgment that Red was onto something, so he pressed forward.

"Every Irken wants to be the best, we want to be remembered for our awesomeness long after we die and our data is re-uploaded into the system by our PAKs. We want to further the Empire. We want to be the greatest force in the entire universe. We want all this because we are the most superior and deserving race. I know you want all that too. I know you believe that as well. But here is the difference, most Irkens strive to be the best, the greatest, because they believe that they are. You, Purple, want to be the greatest because you believe you aren't."

Red paused and he watched. Purple's eyes widened slightly, his antennae twitched and Red could almost feel how tense Purple was. He could almost see the amount of willpower it took for Purple to maintain eye contact. He remained still for only a moment before reacting how any Irken would, with anger. He shoved Red back and hissed, but despite looking insulted his scent couldn't lie. It was subtle, and only Red would have been able to pick it up, but it was there; fear.

"So what is it this time?" Red said knowing full well that he was provoking Purple. After watching Purple all day and thinking about all the things that had happened, the answer was obvious. Purple's actions were fueled by this secret and underlining fear. What Red couldn't understand, what he needed to know was where this fear was coming from. Purple was the most amazing and greatest Irken Red had ever encountered. He wouldn't have any other as his mate. It grated on his antennae that for whatever stupid reason Purple didn't see himself as amazing as Red did. "What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything," Purple hissed back.

"Of death? Of pain? No, you aren't," Red said seriously. "If you were you wouldn't have pushed yourself as hard as you did in the Academy. You wouldn't have taken the most dangerous missions. Even with the smeet, you weren't really afraid of pain or dying because of the smeet were you? No, you were afraid that I didn't value you, that the Empire didn't need you. When you thought that you were going to be tossed aside you would have rather died out of spite than have that come true. Even after we became mates, you began to hate our smeet because you thought I didn't want you as mine. So what is it now?" Red fumed. "What stupid thoughts are you having that are making you work yourself crazy? What are you trying to prove? Why don't you believe me when I say you're the greatest Irken in the entire Empire!?" Red shouted at the peak of his frustration.

"BECAUSE I'M NOT! YOU ARE!"

Red stared back at Purple's outburst, but he was not letting Purple off that easy. "So this is my fault then? Do you want me gone? Do you wish that it had just been you that was chosen as Tallest?" Red knew that this wasn't true, he knew Purple was as possessive of him as he was of Purple, there was more to this and he intended to find it out.

"What?" Purple looked taken back at the accusation. "Of course not, Red. I want you to be mine forever. You are mine," Purple said firmly, that flicker of possessiveness in his eyes reflected in his scent. Red knew that was the case, he could feel the want, the need, the desire to mate coming from Purple. However, it passed quickly as Purple grew frustrated and began to pace. "You don't get it. You're too...you," he gestured to all of Red.

"Then explain it so I can understand. You've always been good with words," Red said stepping back to lean against the back of the couch with his arms crossed. At least he had made enough progress with Purple that he was actually going to talk about it. He didn't have to physically pin Purple in place before he talked. All he had to do was pin him with words. Purple gave him an exasperated look and Red motioned for him to continue with a flick of his fingers. "You can start with why you insist on doing so much work, despite hating it."

A blue flush tinted Purple's face and he looked away. He mumbled something and Red almost couldn't believe what he thought he heard. "You what?"

"I'm gaining weight," Purple muttered a little louder. He glanced at Red and seeing his incredulous expression bordering on rage he quickly continued. "I know! I know!" Purple held up his hands defensively. "Let me explain." Red went tight lipped and Purple couldn't help but notice the way his antennae were almost vibrating with anger, but he remained silent, waiting.

"Usually it's fine for Irkens to be fat, especially smallers," Purple said knowing that Red knew all this, but he wanted to make a point. "It just means that they've been rewarded with lots of snacks and little work or are sneaky enough to get a lot without getting caught. But you know how difficult it is for a taller to gain significant weight. Only the most privileged Tallers have access to the amount of snacks needed to gain weight, even then they'd have to have a pretty cushy job.

"As Tallest we have to snack every hour to just avoid sugar deprivation. I can't even recall a time when there has been a weighty Tallest. In order for a Tallest to even gain weight they'd have to constantly be eating; not just snacking, but gorging all the time. They'd have no time for work. To gain weight and keep that weight they would have to gorge on snacks _all_ the time," Purple said pointedly.

"Pur," Red said slowly, rubbing his forehead to fend off a headache.

"I know!" Purple snapped. "I know it's the smeet. I know the crew knows that I have a smeet too, but all they're going to see is a fat Tallest. What if they don't understand? What if they think I'm using the smeet as an excuse to be lazy and not do any work, or they think that you _say_ that I'm doing work but that you're really only _saying_ it and you're doing it all yourself." Now that Red was listening and the first words came out, the rest of Purple's anxieties began tumbling out of him. He paced in short strides in front of Red, unable to stop. He didn't really expect Red to understand, but he couldn't stop himself either.

"Having two Tallest is rare. The only reason we're both Tallest is because we are supposedly the same height. Sure the work is easier to do with both us splitting it up, but it isn't impossible for there to be just one Tallest. I need to show the crew and the Control Brains that I can work, that I'm valuable. If they see two Tallest and one is fat, they're going to think that the thinner one is the one doing all the work. Before I gain too much more, they need to see that I am working. I need them to believe that I am doing my share of the work." At this point Purple stopped looking over at Red as he spoke, his eyes were looking out but his attention was turned inwards.

"Eventually, I might not be able to continue doing my work while the smeet grows. If that happens and you take over all the work, they'll see and they'll all know. They'll figure out that two Tallest aren't needed. All the Empire needs is just one Tallest. Why have two when one is good enough? If they decide to only pick one, the choice is obvious." At this Purple did focus his attention onto Red.

"You draw other Irkens to you like no one I have ever seen. Smallers fall over themselves trying to please you, to gain your praise. Soldiers and Elites respect you from your time on the front lines. Your victories on the battlefield are renown. You can master any technology and your own designs show your knowledge of weaponry. You have an unshaken confidence and you are the ideal image of Irken perfection.

"I want you like nothing I have ever wanted. When you look at me, when I can feel your desire to possess me it makes me...it makes me think that I might be worthy if someone like you wants me. But if I'm no longer a Tallest, if they demote me, what right would I have to claim you as mine? If the Control Brains ever figure out that just you are enough, I'd lose everything. I need to prove I'm the best. I need to be the best. I need to be invaluable. If I lose my place besides you, I wouldn't be able to—"

"—to live?" Red interrupted harshly making Purple flinch at the simmering anger. "While hearing you praise me excites me to no end, your attitude is starting to piss me off." Red said crossing the distance between them. He grabbed Purple's arms and gripped hard, if he didn't he was going to start brawling with Purple which wouldn't help at all. "I don't know how you can be so blind to what is so obvious. Do you know why the smaller flock to me? Why they always try to get on my good side?" Red asked, however, he didn't give Purple a chance to respond. "Because they are terrified of you. Every Irken knows not to cross Tallest Purple, your fury is merciless and terrifying and awe-inspiring. You never allow mistakes for yourself, and so you expect the same from other Irkens. They come to me, knowing that I don't expect as much as you do. They also hope that should something happen I might feel gracious and spare them from you." The blatant surprise on Purple's face almost made Red want to shake his mate.

"You think my accomplishments are great? What Invader claimed those planets? What Invader holds the highest record of invasions and is what every Irken after him aspires to be? You. You are that Invader. You can walk into any situation and easily take control. Conquered planets easily bend in submission when you take part in the talks. When you are in a good mood and are at easy, you can change the entire atmosphere of the Massive. 'If Tallest Purple is in a good mood then things must be going well.' Just by seeing you relaxed, the Empire feels at ease because when they see you angry they know someone is going to pay. If your wrath is on an enemy, the Empire awaits with wicked glee for the moment you strike the final blow. If your wrath is on a fellow Irken, well, that Irken deserves it because everyone knows not to cross you." By the time Red finished he had somehow pinned Purple against the wall, their bodies pressed together. As Red spoke his praise, Purple's scent filled the air and wrapped around Red's antennae. He licked the underside of Purple's chin and felt elated at the way Purple tilted his head so Red could taste his neck. He felt Purple's antennae lightly brush against his and it sent chills along his skin.

"Is that really true?" Purple asked his voice a low whisper.

"Oh yes," Red said rubbing the side of his face against Purple's so their antennae could rub together, sending good feelings to the both of them. "No one could replace you, not me, not any Irken. You are the ideal image of an Irken; strong, sly, powerful. And the greatest thing of all is that you are mine," Red said as he licked Purple's neck and nibbled his mate's skin between each pause. "You are the greatest Irken the Empire as ever created, and you don't belong to the Empire, you belong to me and I belong to you. Together we are the greatest and we are above everyone and everything. I'd choose you over the entire Empire, because you are the greatest. If you don't believe me, then I'm going to prove it to you once and for all," Red said suddenly pulling away from his mate, leaving Purple a bit dazed from the lack of touch. Adjusting his grip on Purple's arm he yanked, dragging his mate along with him out the door.

"Wha...Hey, where are we going?" Purple asked stumbling to activate his hover belt as Red did, not slowing as they zipped down the hall. Purple began to grow concerned about the way the Irkens they passed started to panic at seeing how in a hurry they were. Red paid them no mind, making some jump out of their way or risk being knocked down.

Red ignored Purple, instead he had his PAK send a message ahead of time to alert the Control Brains of their approach. Only when they reached the doors to the Control Brains did Red stop. He deactivated his hover belt and finally turned back to a confused Purple.

"Since my words haven't been enough, we're going to settle this once and for all," he said and ignoring the growing panic on Purple's face he pulled him into the room. The three brains were fully active, alerted by his message. Behind them the doors slid shut and locked in what Purple thought was a slightly menacing way.

" _Tallest Red, we received your message. What urgent matter do you wish to discuss?"_ the Center Brain hummed.

"Why did you make both of us Tallest? Why not just pick one?" Red boldly asked causing Purple to gasp.

The Brains hummed, their glowing ports fluctuating with light. " _You question our judgment?"_ the left brain asked, the implied that doing so what not a smart move for even a Tallest.

"No, of course not," Purple said loudly and quickly, then hissed at Red, "What are you doing?"

Red ignored Purple. "Since we are the exact same height, why not just pick one to be Tallest?"

" _This behavior is unusual_ ," the Right Brain said and from behind, unseen by the Tallest, two tendrils came from the ceiling. " _Further information is required,_ " as it spoke the two tendrils attached to the Tallest's PAKs. Gasping in unison at the connection, Red and Purple went rigid as the invasive probe scanned both their PAKs' memories. It lasted only a few moments before detaching and making them collapse to their knees. It was like being electrocuted, and their insides and PAKs felt raw and sore. Purple glared at Red, in a 'this-is-all-your-fault' kind of way.

" _Ah!_ " the Center Brain exclaimed. " _We see, yes, indeed this is an urgent matter,_ " it said gaining Red and Purple's full attention.

" _Tallest Purple, you are correct in your assumption,"_ the Center Brain said. _"At the time of selection you two were the taller of the candidates considered for Tallest. Further, it was discovered that Red was .005 millimeters taller. However this is within the acceptable margin for Tallest selection. To make a final selection, a full study of your PAKs and accomplishments was made. Upon review it revealed that neither of you were qualified to be Tallest."_

"See? There you—wait, what?" Red stumbled over his words and stared at the Control Brains.

" _Tallest Red,"_ the Left Brain began. " _Upon selection, while your military records and technological skills were at peak approval, you failed in your personal assessment. Records showed that you made irrational and thoughtless decisions based on whim. You excelled in areas that required action, but failed to meet requirements in management follow-through. In combat your skills alone could account for your successes, not the leadership you displayed._

_"Records showed that once you reached top positions, your rate of growth and improvement dropped off. You lacked dedication and determination to grow beyond your capabilities. If chosen to be Tallest calculations determined that you would not further the reach of the Empire at a desired rate. Conclusion: too lazy."_

Red stared blankly at the Control Brains and found he couldn't argue. If he had been Tallest by himself, he probably would have shirked off all his duties onto others and just basked in the glory of being Tallest. After all, what more would there be to work for?

" _Tallest Purple,_ " the Right Brain spoke, " _Upon selection, while your Invader conquests were exceptional and your consistent improvement in all your skills impressive, you failed in your personal assessment. Records showed that you acted rashly and impulsively based on an over-active emotional basis. You excelled in areas that required precision and attention to detail, but failed to meet requirements on large scale goals. In missions you excelled in finding weaknesses and ways to utilize those flaws to destroy enemies, however you treated your fellow Irkens in the same manner._

_"Records showed that while you are driven to perfection and success you interact poorly with other Irkens. You lacked charisma and likability to inspire Irkens into following your leadership. If chosen to be Tallest calculations determined that you would expand the reach of the Empire at the expense of the Empire's stability. Conclusion: too unstable."_

Purple didn't like the report, but he couldn't really disagree either. If it had been just him he would have push the Massive's crew and the armada to go father, faster, to accomplish more than any other Tallest before him. He would have wanted to go down in history as the most successful Tallest, even if he had to destroy his own people to do so.

 _"Since you both failed to pass Tallest requirements,"_ the Center Brain said, _"We were left with few options. The next tallest candidates had more acceptable personal records but failed to meet required accomplishment standards. However, upon a further inspection we found interesting data that led to another more favorable option."_

 _"Tallest Red,_ " the Left Brain said, " _During your days in the Academy, there were times of growth and progress in your capabilities and skills. These improvements directly correlated with your interactions with the then Elite Irken, Purple."_

 _"Tallest Purple,_ " the Right Brain took over, " _Observations from Instructors showed that among all other Irkens you socialized the most with then Elite Irken, Red. Such socialization did not end in permanent damage or death, it was further noted that there were positive interactions and the effects from these interactions resulted in less bursts of violence."_

" _Thus upon review of all the gathered data,"_ the Center Brain said, " _It was concluded that the optimal result would be for both of you to become Tallest. Combined, your accomplishments were of superior quality. Data showed that when paired the areas in which you lacked were strengthened, your flaws mended, and your capabilities at their full potential._

 _"However,_ " the Center Brain continued, " _In lieu of recent events and newly acquired data it is apparent that, Tallest Purple, your mental instability had not been fully improved. In order for the Empire to remain stable and consistent during this state of DNA crisis, we are ordering you to correct this oversight. You must improve your mental stability, a smeet born from an unstable Irken will become unstable. It is our directive that a smeet derived from you two will retain the desirable qualities you both possess, while negating the imperfections. In order for this to be a success, Tallest Purple, you must improve your mental thought processing. Thus we are ordering you to meet with Head Medic Mik to work on mental improvements."_

"What?!" Purple exclaimed angrily. "Why him?"

 _"He is the most qualified. He holds the title of Head Medic. You will meet with him and you will improve your mental stability. WE. HAVE. SPOKEN!"_ The Center Brain said loudly and the voice boomed through out the room before the three Brains powered down, leaving Purple no room to argue.

* * *

Mik sat in the Tallest's common space on a very comfortable chair. However, no matter how great the chair he didn't feel relaxed at all. Every time he looked across from him he had to fight down the instinctual urge to flee or fall to the floor and beg for mercy. He had to keep reminding himself that Tallest Purple could not kill him, it was directly ordered by the Control Brains that Mik could not be harmed. Still, no Irken lived long if they drew Tallest Purple's wrath upon them, and having Tallest Purple glare at him with eyes that promised death was making it very difficult to remain calm. Mik's only saving grace was that he was not the only target of his Tallest's attention. Tallest Red sat in a chair facing both him and Tallest Purple, whom had the entire couch to himself.

Tallest Red originally went to sit next to his mate, but Tallest's Purple glare snapped to him and intensified as Tallest Red bent to sit. Very slowly, Tallest Red straightened then backed up until he sat in the other chair in their common space. Once seated Tallest Purple's eyed fixed back on Mik and there they remained.

Fifteen minutes had already passed and Mik shifted his grip on the reader in his lap. This was great progress on his part, as he had been previously frozen in fear with his internal struggles. Tallest Red was not as afraid and he kept fidgeting. A few times he began to speak, but a sharp glare from Tallest Purple had him retreating into silence.

Mik had been briefed on the situation and currently displayed on his reader was Tallest Purple's information, transferred over from the Control Brain database. He understood what the Control Brains wanted, however he had no idea why they thought he would be able to do anything about it. He understood Tallest Purple's actions much better now, but Mik doubted he would be of assistance to his Tallest.

Tallest Purple continued to glare at him and Mik swallowed. Mik knew that Tallest Purple knew what he knew. He would not be able to convince his Tallest of anything no matter what he said. Only one Irken could ever reason with Tallest Purple.

Mik glanced at Tallest Red as an idea formed. It might work, if Tallest Red understood. He might be able to help, but Tallest Purple would never admit to anything, and going about this the wrong way could do more harm. He would have to carefully approach the subject.

"M-My Tallest," Mik began proud that his voice only shook a little at first. "The Control Brains sent me your data," he said looking down if only to avoid looking up. "They have tasked me with helping you improve mental stability. I don't know if you are aware of this or not," Mik said briefly glancing up and quickly adverting his eyes from the death glare. Instead he made eye contact with Tallest Red thankful that he wasn't trying to murder him with his eyes. "But it is well known in the medic field that Tallers often have more difficulty with emotional and mental control. Because all Irkens are given the same PAK equipment, the emotional filter installed works better for smallers."

"How come?" Tallest Red asked, genuinely interested.

Mik was instantly relived that Tallest Red was joining the conversation, it just might work afterall. "The PAKs are all programmed the same and their default settings are for smallers as they are more common. If an Irken grows into a Taller, the PAKs have to work extra hard at body maintenance and the filters that help control emotional fluctuations are much less effective with strong emotions. Unfortunately, updating the filters is impossible as it would require many upgrades on the PAK and upgrading a PAK is a very risky procedure. Activating your reproductive functioning in your PAKs would not have been possible without direct help from the Control Brains. They supplied us with the blueprints and data necessary to make the adjustments without risk.

"So, um," Mik turned back to Tallest Purple, who still glared and didn't seem interested in Mik's information at all, but Mik plunged forward. "The fact that you display a wide range of emotions that can vary in intensity, is not uncommon for Tallers and is of no concern. What the Control Brains are defining as 'unstable' is um, your, ah..." Mik struggled to find a different way to phrase what they had sent him, but he couldn't find any other way to say it. "It is reported," Mik said wanting to make it clear that these were not his words, "That you, Tallest Purple, lack awareness as a Taller."

Mik gripped his reader and stared at the screen, not sure how Tallest Purple would react. When death didn't greet him he peeked up and was almost relieved to see that Tallest Purple's expression hadn't changed. He wasn't _more_ angry.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tallest Red asked, glancing at his co-leader whom remained unmoving and unresponsive, besides the glaring.

"Well, it, um," Mik struggled again. If he angered his Tallest beyond control not even his title as Control Brain Representative would be able to protect him, even if he was doing all this to help. "It means that...erm..." Mik fidgeted in his seat and instead of just out right saying it he would lead Tallest Red to the answer. "Tallest Red, as a Tallest you are given the best snacks and have first choice because why?"

"Because I'm the Tallest, duh," he said.

"What about other Tallers? Why would they be allowed to have the good snacks?" Mik asked.

"They're Tallers, they deserve them," Tallest Red said easily.

"Yes," Mik nodded. "However, if you give a smaller one of the best snacks or give them first choice why would that be?"

Tallest Red looked puzzled for a moment, thinking. "A smaller? They would have to do something amazing, really amazing."

"Yes, and what if a smaller was allowed to have one of the best snacks _without_ having done something amazing?"

Tallest Red scowled, "Why on _Irk_ would a smaller be allowed a good snack if they hadn't earned it?"

Mik nodded again and continued, "Now suppose there are two Irkens, one is smaller and one is Taller. The smaller has done a great accomplishment, and the Taller has not. You have to reward one in front of the armada, who do you reward?"

"The Taller," Tallest Red answered without hesitation and he became a little irritated. "These are stupid questions. What do they have to do with anything? Even a smeet knows that no matter what a Taller gets the better choice because they are Taller and therefore deserve more."

"Yes, just one more question," Mik promised. "Now suppose you have the same two Irkens, a smaller and a Taller. They will both die, but you get to save one. The Taller, while tall and impressive they have not done anything that you could not do yourself. The smaller, however, is trained in a specialized and necessary task that only they can do. Who do you save?"

Tallest Red didn't answer, he was silent as the internal debate when on in his head.

"The smaller," Tallest Purple suddenly spoke gaining their attention. He continued to glare as he answered Mik. "But that smaller can never be anything but the best, they better spend their whole lives being the most useful, the best, and most talented Irken. If at any point that smaller isn't needed anymore then their life is worthless."

"Even if that smaller eventually became tall enough to become the Tallest?" Mik asked pointedly, finally daring to make eye contact with Tallest Purple.

"Yes," Tallest Purple answered unwavering.

"Wait a moment," Tallest Red interjected. "That doesn't make any sense. If that smaller became a taller, then it's fine. It just meant that the smaller was meant to be great. Between two Tallers the better one will always get rewarded, even if the height is a little different. The smaller's new height is proof that they were deserving. If the smaller becomes tall, tall enough to be a Tallest, then why on _Irk_ would they need to keep on proving that they are..." Tallest Red trailed off and as his eyes widened. He turned to his mate, "Purple?"

"You can tell the Control Brains, I'm fully aware of my height," Tallest Purple said heatedly, then stood and retreated to his room.

Tallest Red watched him go then spun around once Tallest Purple's door _swooshed_ shut. "Explain. Now," he demanded.

Mik nodded and handed over the reader with the data the Control Brains had sent him. "During the PAK scan they did, the Control Brains found that one of Tallest Purple's smeet memories was still very vivid in his PAK," Mik explained as Tallest Red read. "When the Control Brain last scanned Tallest Purple's data it had been during the Tallest candidacy. The Control Brains knew the force behind then Elite Purple's accomplishments, and their calculations were that once he became a Tallest his self-awareness of his accomplishments would balance out and he would start viewing himself as a true taller."

"True taller?" Tallest Red asked glancing up for clarification.

"As you said before, it is obvious that the Tallers will be rewarded. Mostly it is because the Tallers truly do accomplish more than smallers. Only in rare cases do smallers hold positions of prestige or power due to their skills. One example can be myself," Mik acknowledged. "I became Head Medic over some of my Tallers competing for the position because of my exceeding skill. Because of this I have little room for failure, where a Taller in my position would not have as high of expectations. I can understand Tallest Purple's thinking, now having read this," he pointed to the reader. "But I do not know how to change Tallest Purple's thinking."

As Tallest Red read the full report his brow became more wrinkled as he scowled. Once finished he closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Well," he said with a long sigh. "This explains why he's so," Tallest Red waved his hand around in the air as he searched for the right word. "Frustrating," he finally said. He stared at the ceiling, thinking hard. "You're right," Tallest Red said sitting up and turning to Mik. "You won't be able to do anything to help Purple. You're a smaller, he'll never listen to you."

Mik nodded his agreement. "This goes beyond medical skills. I researched a lot about Irken emotional states in my early medical days, which is why the Control Brains might think I can help, but Tallest Purple's situation is unique. If I were a Taller he might listen."

"He's going to listen to me," Tallest Red said standing. "I get why he's like how he is, but that doesn't change the fact that this is all stupid," he said scowling at Tallest Purple's door. "I'm going to make him see himself as I do, even if I have to replace his eyes with mine."

"Um," Mik began nervously. "I don't believe that will..." he didn't bother finishing his sentence as Tallest Red followed after Tallest Purple and the door closed behind him. Mik toyed with the idea of staying and maybe listening in, for research purposes of course. But the idea of getting caught had him leaving and heading back to the med lab. His sense of self-preservation was much higher than his curiosity.

* * *

Red walked in and wasn't surprised that he couldn't see Purple, however the call of "in here," coming from the cleansing room was unexpected. Following the voice he found Purple already in the warm gel, his armor, boots and robes off to the side leaving him in the black underclothes, only his arms, feet and head exposed. He didn't bother to lift his head up from where it was resting against the side of the in-floor tub as he sunk down to submerge most of his body.

"I knew you'd follow me," Purple said. "Might as well get in too," he said tilting his head enough to look at Red.

"You seem calmer," Red noticed surprised by the change, but he accepted the invitation without question and quickly stripped off his armor and robes.

"In the past you would have let the matter drop," Purple said settling down further. "But I doubt you will now, you'll push and push until you get me to talk about it. I'm saving myself the hassle and just agreeing to talk if it's just you. It is just you, right?" he asked sitting up to search for unwanted guests, namely Mik.

"Just me," Red said and Purple eased back down.

"So," Purple began once Red sat next to him. He kept his eyes staring up at the ceiling. "You've something to say," he said not as a question but knowing that Red did.

"I read the file Mik had," Red said keeping his eyes on his mate, even if Purple was avoiding eye contact. "But I want to hear it from you."

Purple sighed, but complied. "It was after I completed my smeet training. It was the first mission I was assigned to outside of the smeetery, or at least that's what I believed at the time. In reality it was just two Tallers that needed a pilot for an illegal snack run. They hadn't plotted a proper course and I was too new to realize it. We hit an asteroid belt and greatly damaged the ship's engines and the air tank was completely destroyed.

"At the time I never thought about why we couldn't call for a rescue, but with the air dropping I wasn't thinking clearly either. They were both engineers and could fix the engine, but by the time they did there wasn't enough air left to make it back to Irk. Normally it wouldn't be a problem with the suits our PAKs can create, but I was just a smeet, and they weren't assigned to go off planet, so none of us had the PAK upgrade that's standard for any space going Irken.

"Of course they brought along two air suits for themselves in case of an emergency. However, while knowing every part of the ship, they had no clue how to pilot it and the air suits were of the emergency type and didn't have enough air for them to figure out how to get back to Irk themselves."

Purple closed his eyes, "I can still remember their faces as they realized that I was the only one that could get them home alive, and because I too needed to breathe it meant I could only get _one_ of them home alive. The entire time they had been laughing and joking with each other, but the moment they realized that...I've never in all my days as an Elite seen two Tallers become more vicious and bloodthirsty as I did then. They tore each other apart, yet at the same time they were very careful not to damage the precious air tank the other wore."

"When one finally came away the winner, the first thing he said to me was 'He died because of you. If you were a Taller you could have had your own tank. I had to kill him because of you.'" Purple opened his eyes again and looked at Red.

"When we became Tallest you told me about your recessive gender, why didn't you tell me about this?" Red asked.

"The Control Brains already knew about it," Purple said leaning back. "I wasn't worried about them finding out. It almost made more sense to me to be a Tallest. It was a way to really prove that my life was worth something to the Empire, that I deserved to live. When we first became Tallest, it was on my mind a lot, but you were so relaxed and content that it made me feel more at ease too. Somehow you always managed to side track me and get me involved in something fun that I began to be more relaxed as a Tallest too."

Red nodded. He remembered how his new co-leader took the job so seriously at first and wanted to work all the time. It took some time but Red eventually was able to get Purple to lighten up and let others do some of the more tedious jobs. They were the Tallest, only the most important jobs deserved their attention. It made a lot more sense now why Purple had been so bent on doing all that work in the beginning.

"Honestly," Purple continued. "I haven't thought about that day much since becoming Tallest. I try not to think about it, but it's been floating around in the back of my mind since..."

"Since you thought I betrayed you?" Red supplied.

Purple winced and gave Red an apologetic glance. "Yeah, since then. It wasn't like I was really thinking about it, but I think that it was there in my mind pushing me. It's still there now, like a small voice whispering to my PAK."

"What's it saying?" Red asked.

Purple closed his eyes, " _Impostor,"_ he said in a soft voice.

"Impostor?" Red repeated. "Purple, those Tallers were stupid, they should have planned better. That one's death is their own fault. And you grew Taller, it just shows that you deserved to live. Look how amazing you are now, you became a Tallest."

Purple gave him a puzzled look. "You read the file, it should have listed what happened after that too."

Red's antennae perked and tilted as he studied his partner. "You weren't traumatized by having a Taller killed in your place when you were a smeet, were you?"

" _Pfft_ , no," Purple scoffed. "Is that what Mik thinks? The Control Brains must not have given him the full file."

"Then why does this bother you so much?" Red asked. "What's this all about?"

Purple sat up and studied him. "Would you still want to be my mate if I was a smaller?"

At first Red balked at the very notion of having a smaller as a mate, but then he remembered Purple from their early Elite days. When he first saw Purple at training, he was a fairly tall smeet and from there Purple only grew taller. He didn't really interact with Purple until much later in their training days, but ever since then Red couldn't get enough of the other.

Red studied his mate and imagined the same Purple, but in a smaller body. The same stubbornness, cunning, and dominating presence in a smaller, easier to pin down body.

Purple's antennae twitched as he picked up on the scent and he narrowed his eyes at Red suspiciously, "what are you thinking?"

A grin split Red's face. "If you were smaller, it would be easier for me to be in control during mating."

"Answer seriously," Purple glared at him.

"I am," Red replied, imagining that glare on a smaller body. He shifted to straddle Purple's legs. He put his hand on Purple's abdomen. "If you were smaller, my hand would be the size of your body and I could touch more of you easier." His other hand went up and poked Purple's antennae, "The tips of your antennae would be at the perfect height for me to grab with my tongue," he said letting his tongue slip out in the air between them and mime wrapping around an antennae and sliding up.

Purple stared wide-eyed at him and his face flushed blue before he looked away and Red knew he had just imagined himself as a smaller in that exact situation. Before things went too far, Red chuckled and eased back to sit between Purple's knees to be at eye level with his mate. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes," Purple said reluctantly and narrowed his eyes at Red, who kept grinning. "You're probably the only Irken to think that way."

"I don't think so," Red said feeling cheeky. "What about if I was the smaller one in that same situation?"

Purple's eyes took on a glazed look before he shook himself and glared back at Red, though the faint blue on his face remained. "Fine," Purple said. "The only _other_ Irken to think that way," then he couldn't help himself and a smile cracked through his scowl. He grasped Red's shirt and pulled him close, however instead of bringing their mouths together, Purple rested his head on Red's shoulder and slipped his hands around him, holding him close.

The gesture seemed so...vulnerable, that it took Red by surprise. Acting on a weird impulse he copied Purple's actions and wrapped his arms back around him and rested his head on top of Purple's. There was no mating scent coming from Purple, despite their closeness, instead the emotions he was picking up were; content, happy, and a different richer, deeper happy scent.

"Surviving instead of a Taller didn't bother me much," Purple said from his place on Red's shoulder. "It did for a while, until I was able to think about the situation and I saw how stupid they had been in the first place, I also found out that it hadn't been a real mission. I was furious at them because if we had been caught they would have gotten in trouble, but as a small smeet my punishment would have been worse even though I had no idea we were breaking rules.

"But he did speak some truth. Because I was a smaller, the other one did die. If I were taller I would have been allowed to check out an air tank whenever I wanted. If I were a Taller and they found out how that ship had really gotten damaged then I wouldn't get in that much trouble. As it was, if that Taller had cracked he would have blamed it all on me and while he remained unpunished.

"I was smart, I was one of the best in my group. I knew I was destined for great things. I knew that I was bound to be a Taller, but I needed to be able to survive to get there. That other Taller was weak, I didn't trust that he wouldn't break as the higher ups were pretty upset about the mysteriously damaged ship and the dead Irken found inside. His PAK was destroyed so that they wouldn't get the data about what happened. The Taller did that too.

"Living in the place of a Taller was one thing, but being held responsible for the destruction of a PAK? As a smaller I would be killed without question. I only had one option," Purple paused and took a calming breath. "In desperation I did something unthinkable, I tampered with my PAK."

That admittance had Red holding his breath. It was extremely dangerous to tamper with a PAK unless you were a PAK specialist. Every Irken could do routine maintenance, but one wrong move and you could make yourself a defective or even accidentally kill yourself.

"I know," Purple said with a half laugh, feeling Red tense. "It was stupid, but it worked. I was able to hack into my data and input into it that I was a Taller. Of course, since my body didn't match what my PAK data said, my PAK went right away into fixing my body. I grew rapidly and was at a considerably taller height in no time.

"For a while I thought I was safe. I was enjoying the attention and new perks my height gave me, until he found me. The engineer cornered me one night, he accused me of growing taller just so I could turn him in. He said that my new height wasn't natural and that I must have done something. He kept asking what I had done, and in a panic I killed him, piercing his PAK so the data couldn't be read. I left his body for someone else to find.

"I thought for sure the higher ups were going to come after me and kill me, and as the weeks went on I grew more worried. I was safe from being found out about destroying his PAK, but if he could tell I had grown too quickly then others must have noticed too. There was only one thing I could do to ensure my survival. It worked when I was a smaller, so I did the same as a Taller. I made myself irreplaceable. I made sure to be the best, the smartest, the strongest. I needed to be the best, I had to prove that I was worth keeping alive.

"On our first evaluation by the Control Brains, the one that decided our assigning, I didn't know what would happen. Either I would walk away alive, or they'd deactivate me. After my scan the Control Brain said 'Your existence has cost the Empire, if you want to succeed you must atone and contribute twice as much.'" Purple felt Red tense again and he laughed bitterly. "That's why I have to prove that I'm worthwhile. I need to show them-"

"-Pur," Red cut him off and his arms tightened around Purple. There was an odd tone in his voice that made Purple tense as well. "You..." Red started slowly not sure how to say it. "You never talked much with anyone one else besides me did you? After our assigning, you to be an Invader and me to the Armada, we didn't have much time to relax and talk. I wish you had told me about all this much, much sooner," Red said with a heavy sigh and he held Purple even closer. "Pur," he began again. "The Control Brains say that to every Irken."

There was a long pause. The air was thick with the silence as Red held onto a very still Purple.

"What."

The word was so toneless it didn't even sound like a question so Red kept silent and still.

"You're lying," Purple said but his voice didn't have force behind it, there wasn't much of any tone behind it.

"You know I wouldn't," Red responded. "I get it. I understand. Pur, you are your worst enemy. You avoided others, you never were social with the other Irkens, so you never got to hear about everyone's experiences. Even if you did mess with your PAK it doesn't change that you became a Taller. Yeah, you destroyed that engineer's PAK but he did the same thing and probably had been planning on killing you. My guess is that he let you live as a smaller so if he got found out he could put the blame on you, but when you grew taller he became paranoid that you would out him. He probably came to kill you that night. If you hadn't destroyed his PAK it would have been found that you were innocent and that he was to blame. Since you were a Taller and just defending yourself you definitely would have been safe from punishment.

"But it's fine," Red continued, a little worried about Purple's lack of response. "All this just proves how devious, ruthless and strong-willed you are. Your will to survive and thrive is stronger than any Irken I know. You didn't suck up to that engineer in order to live, you took a huge risk and made yourself untouchable. You didn't back down from intimidation and killed him as your enemy. You didn't try to fly under the radar in the Control Brains data, but made yourself so accomplished and so successful that it was almost a direct challenge to them to _try_ and get rid of you. How could they punish you? You were one of the top of your class, you were one of the tallest Tallers, and as an Invader you accomplished more than any other. They would be fool to do anything other than make you a Tallest.

"And you want to know the best part?" Red asked unwrapping his arms and gently pushing Purple back. Purple stared at him his brow furrowed and his mouth a thin line, his expression wavered between being absolutely livid and stunned. Red gave him an cocky grin, "The best part is that you, as stupid as you are astute, belong to me."

Purple's eyes fixed on him and his expression settled on a mix between his emotions that just made him look grumpy. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? I've suffered and pushed myself to the extreme limits. I've lived in constant paranoia that someone might find fault in me and deem me worthless, and you...and you... _you_!" Purple sputtered as his anger flared up.

Red wasn't disturbed by his partner's negative mood. He just grinned wider. On impulse he leaned forward and bumped their foreheads together. His antennae leaned forward wanting to seek out and touch Purple's. Purple's eyes glared into his own and his antennae remained flat against his head. Still Red did not give up. To him Purple was the ideal Irken, even knowing everything...or better yet especially knowing everything. Headstrong to the point of foolishness. So Independent he was anti-social. So resolute he was selfish. So powerful that he was ferocious. Purple was everything. And Red loved having all that energy focused onto himself. It was overwhelming at times, and it was so easy for Red to succumb to it, but in those moments when he was lost to everything but the sensations of Purple surrounding him, enveloping him, dominating him...it was pure bliss.

"I'll let you have control, full control, from the start," Red said and grinned victoriously when he picked up on the scent coming from Purple.

"You're the stupid one, Red," Purple mumbled before clashing their mouths together and taking full advantage of Red's offer.

* * *

Much later, Red lay down on Purple's bed feeling lazy and highly satisfied. Having Purple under him and completely submissive was pleasing, but something about Purple pinning him down and giving him such good pleasurable feelings that Red couldn't even think was just amazing. Purple didn't like interacting much with other Irkens, and even knowing that Purple wouldn't have to be so cautious anymore Red still suspected that Purple wasn't going to suddenly become personable. His standoffish ways towards others were too deeply ingrained into his person. The fact that Purple choose him, that Red had overcome that barrier Purple put up felt like a great victory to him. When they were mating and Purple was in control and purposefully having contact with Red it intensified that feeling. So even when he was completely submissive to Purple, Red still felt like he was winning.

And after this last mating, Red felt like he was the champion of the universe. Grinning to himself Red pulled Purple a little closer as he slept. Purple frowned in his semi-resting state and mumbled about keeping still before drifting back into sleep mode. They didn't have any duties for a while and Red wasn't surprised that Purple needed a quick recharge. He'd been working so hard lately and his body was taking a lot of energy to make the smeet.

Thinking of it, Red looked down his mate's naked body and studied his abdomen. Purple claimed he was gaining weight and while it wasn't that obvious compared next to him, Purple did look like he gained a little weight. The area near his hips was slightly larger. He lightly poked the area and Purple grumbled, shifting away from the poke, but not fully waking up. Inside, Purple was growing a smeet, _their_ smeet.

Red pulled Purple closer and his mate nuzzled into him, glad for the warmth. Red slipped his legs between Purple's, entangling them. He wasn't sure if this was from the mating or from his altered emotional filter, but Red felt deep satisfaction. He held the highest position in Irken society and the Irken he valued most belonged to him. Also there was going to be a smeet that was a mix of the two of them. Surely this smeet was going to be the greatest smeet in all of Irken history. It would be living proof of their Union.

Grinning to himself, Red closed his eyes to get a little rest before their next shift on the bridge. He was looking forward to seeing the smeet and finding out what qualities it shared with himself and what parts took after Purple.

* * *

_**Head Medic Mik's Medical Log of Smeet Conception and Growth.** _

_**...** _

_**...** _

_Day 41: Today I was assured by Tallest Red that the issue of Tallest Purple's mental stability has been accounted for. During the Medical examination data shows continued growth of smeet and sugar levels are stable._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 50: Tallest Purple has remained stable in a work and resting schedule shared by Tallest Red. Sugar levels remain stable. Smeet growth is at one inch in length. A slight swelling can be seen in Tallest Purple's abdomen._

_…..._

_….._

_Day 55: Adjustments have been made to Tallest Purple's sugar intake, increasing intake by 5%._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 60: Smeet growth is at 2 inches. Levels remain stable._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 65: Smeet growth is at 2.5 inches. Complications have arisen in Tallest Purple's foodening Schedule. Tallest Purple is refusing to eat particular flavors of snacks and will only consume specific flavors. High sugar contents in the desired snacks have been ordered._

_…..._

_Day 67: The ordered snacks have arrived. Sugar levels are low but stable._

_Day 68: Tallest Purple is refusing to eat the new snacks and demands the previously canceled ones. Luckily, a case of the old snacks was found in the kitchen and the order has been adjusted._

_Day 69: Tallest Purple refuses both snacks. Sugar levels are low._

_Day 70: Sugar levels remain low, Tallest Purple still refuses snack options on the Massive. A large order for all flavors of snacks has been ordered. To stabilize sugar levels Tallest Purple is coming to the med lab three times a day for a sugar IV._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 73: Sugar levels have stabilized and Tallest Purple is pleased by the large selection of snacks._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 75: Today marks the mid-point of smeeting. Smeet growth is showing signs of rapid development. Current smeet growth is 4 inches. Tallest Purple's cycle of rejection and craving flavors of snacks continues._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 80: Smeet growth is 5 inches. The snacking schedule has increased in frequency. There is a large bulge in Tallest Purple's abdomen. The Tallest armor around the abdomen can no longer be worn._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 95: Smeet growth is 5.5 inches. Schedule adjustments have been made to accommodate for Tallest Purple's increased need for sleep. Sugar IV's have been increased to twice a day. However, Tallest Red reports that Tallest Purple still occasionally goes into rest mode on the bridge for a few minutes._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 100: Smeet growth has reached 6.5 inches and seems to have stabilized. Sugar levels have stabilized. Tallest Red reports that Tallest Purple no longer desires a full mating and the frequency of their matings had decreased. It is noted that Tallest Red shows no signs of concern over the decrease in mating. It is also noted that Tallest Red has exhibited more aggressive behaviors. While Tallest Purple is sleeping or snacking Tallest Red glares at the smallers and shows hostile intentions by antennae position or hissing._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 105: Tallest Red has taken over more of Tallest Purple's Tallest duties. Tallest Purple only appears on the bridge every other day and stays no longer than an hour. 75% of the day is spent sleeping. Sugar IVs are necessary for only two hours a day despite the increase in sleep. Tallest Purple abdomen has swollen to a great size and Tallest Red reports that he can feel the smeet's movement from within._

 

_**Head Medic Mik's Medical Log of Smeet Conception and Growth:** _

_**Current Writer, Assistant Medical Drone Shlen** _ _._

_Day 106: Head Medic Mik is currently on medical leave due to an incident yesterday. After a routine medical scan, Head Medic Mik placed his hand on Tallest Purple's swollen abdomen to, reportedly, feel for smeet movement as such movements are not captured by the scans. This invoked a violent response from Tallest Purple who hissed and let out an antennae damaging screech before grabbing Head Medic Mik by the throat and hurling him across the lab. Tallest Red was able to subdue Tallest Purple and prevent him from attacking further. Head Medic Mik is expected to make a full recovery in a few days._

_Tallest Purple did not report for a medical scanning, however Tallest Red reports that he is eating and sleeping as usual. The sugar IV will be sent as scheduled where Tallest Red can assist in it's placement._

_Day 107: Tallest Purple came for his routine medical scan. All levels are normal. This writer attempted to ask routine medical questions but Tallest Purple refused to answer and this writer did not insist further._

_Day 108: Tallest Purple came for his routine medical scan, but after seeing this writer glared for ten minutes before exiting. No scan was made. Sugar IVs were sent to the Tallest Chambers as scheduled._

_Day 109: Tallest Purple did not report for his medical scan. This writer attempted to call, but Tallest Purple answered with an agitated tone and this writer asked for him to come but the call was disconnected. This writer did not call back. Sugar IVs were sent._

_Day 110: Tallest Purple again did not show up for his routine medical scan. Later he was brought in by Tallest Red. It was requested that this writer note that Tallest Purple did not agree to come to medical lab and that he was brought here against his will. It was also requested that this writer note that Tallest Purple was being 'stupidly stubborn'. It was then requested that this writer note that Tallest Red's head is stupid. The medical scan showed levels normal._

_Day 111: Tallest Purple was again brought in by Tallest Red after missing his medical scan. There was less arguing observed, but the entire time this writer felt that Tallest Purple was looking at him with eyes promising death._

_Day 112:_ No log found

 

_**Head Medic Mik's Medical Log of Smeet Conception and Growth** _

_Day 113: Today I returned to my duties fully recovered. A warning report has been sent to the medical staff on Irk to never touch a smeeting Irken's swollen abdomen. Upon returning Assistant Shlen was found under the desk sobbing incoherently, apparently in fear of Tallest Purple. No punishment was made for the lack of documentation in my absence. It will be noted that Tallest Purple has become even more intimidating while smeeting._

_Tallest Purple was escorted to the medical lab by Tallest Red. A routine medical examination was preformed. Sugar levels are low but stable. Another sugar IV is being added to Tallest Purple's schedule._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 115: Strange substances were found in Tallest Purple's digestive spooch. Investigation is underway. Tallest Red is monitoring Tallest Purple in their chambers._

_…..._

_Day 118: It was discovered that Tallest Purple has been consuming his pillow, bed stuffing, couch stuffing and old Tallest robes. Fibrous snacks have been added to his foodening schedule._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 120: Tallest Red reports that Tallest Purple is no longer consuming the couch or other non-snacking material._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 122:During the medical scan it was found that the organic sack protecting the smeet has altered; it has become thicker. There are no other changes and all levels remain normal._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 127: The sack surrounding the smeet has further changed into a solid casing. This has caused an increase in weight gain in Tallest Purple. Research into the Control Brain data base reveals that this process is normal. It was discovered that upon proximity to the expelling stage of the smeet a hard shell casing is created to protect the smeet. After being expelled from the body the shell casing becomes brittle and the smeet will be able to break out of the shell on its own._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 133: Tallest Red reports that Tallest Purple is experiencing a restless sleep. Tallest Purple is vague in his answers but reports that he cannot get comfortable. Sugar levels are low but stable._

_…..._

_…..._

_Day 138: Tallest Purple did not show up for his medical examination. Tallest Red reports that he has barricaded himself in his closet along with a multitude of items from his room as well as snacks. Tallest Red is attempting to coax Tallest Purple out and will report back if assistance is required. Until then I will refrain from reporting to the Control Brains until this situation is rectified._

* * *

"Pur," Red called from outside the closet door. " _Please_ come out," he said not bothering to keep the desperation out of his voice.

"No," came the muffled but stubborn reply.

Red sighed in frustration. Purple needed to go for his scan. His sugar levels were so touch and go lately. Luckily, they weren't unstable, but they were consistently low and he didn't want to chance that something was going to happen. He understood that Purple didn't like Mik and glared at him even more ever since Mik touched his swollen abdomen.

If Purple hadn't thrown Mik off, Red might have done it himself. When Purple said he could feel the smeet move and grabbed Red's hand and placed it on him so he could feel too, Red felt his protectiveness swell for both his mate and his smeet. That Mik _dared_ touch his mate had Red in a fury as well, but seeing how fast Purple could move even with the extra awkward weight attached to him was scary enough to knock him back. Luckily, he was able to prevent Purple from tearing Mik apart. When Red dragged Purple back to their rooms Purple processed to tear apart every pillow on their couch and even took a few chunks out of the cushions before calming down.

Red immediately had their couch replaced. He didn't want to tempt Purple into going through the whole couch-eating thing again. It had been disturbing seeing his mate grab handfuls of stuffing from the hole he made in the couch or bed and eat the stuffing like it was popcorn. And even weirder was the fact that when Red pointed out _what_ he was doing, Purple shrugged seeing nothing wrong with it and went back to eating. However, Purple didn't show any interest in eating the couch anymore since he started eating the new snacks Mik had ordered.

However, since locking himself in the closet, Red was worried that Purple was eating weird things again. While Red was on the bridge Purple had taken all the couch cushions, every pillow and blanket from his and Red's room and with a laser had cut his mattress into pieces small enough to fit inside his closet. Red glanced around at Purple's room and the bits of stuffing littering the floor.

When Red asked earlier, Purple said he wasn't eating the mattress and weirdly enough his muffled voice sounded a bit perplexed and offended at the idea. The cases of snacks piled in their chambers were gone as well, so Red wasn't worried about Purple going into sugar shock right away, but still he was starting to get annoyed with being shut out by his mate.

" _Irk it_ , Purple!" Red swore banging his fist on the closet door. He could rip it off or use lasers or PAK legs to tear his way into the closet, but some part of himself wanted to convince Purple to come out on his own. He didn't want to force his mate out, he was afraid of hurting him in the process. "Why won't you come out?" he shouted.

Red was met with silence.

Then there was a low muffled response.

"What?" Red said still irritated.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Purple shouted back confusion, frustration and worry woven together in his tone.

Red rocked back on his heels, taken back by the unexpected response. He thought a moment and tried a different approach. "Pur, can I come in?" He waited and he didn't get a response but there was a creak and Red saw the closet door slide open. Through the wall of stuffing a green hand pushed the stuffing aside.

"You can come in through here," Purple said. Red didn't hesitate and crawled through the hole. As Purple settled himself into his spot in the back, Red quietly looked around. The pillows and mattress stuffing lined the walls and covered the floor. The blankets were in a large pile in the back that Purple was currently trying to settle in. He kept moving them around, seemingly dissatisfied with all of them. When he wasn't inspecting a blanket, his hands rested on the large bulge on his body. Finally he settled and covered himself with a blanket until only his head was visible.

Red looked around once more as a thought occurred to him. "Pur, is this...a nest?"

Purple's antennae perked up quizzically and he frowned in thought. He too looked around, studying what he had created inside his closet. He frowned and his antennae flattened with irritation as he looked away and spoke to Red. "If it is, it's an awful one."

"Awful?" Red repeated.

Purple made an irritated noise. "It's too small, the blankets are too scratchy, the stuffing isn't soft enough, it's too dark, but the closet light is also too bright, everything is too stagnant and the pillows are lumpy," Purple griped. "The only okay-ish thing is the couch cushions, their stuffing is fine is suppose," Purple said patting the white stuffing pile his mound of blankets was on top of.

"If you don't like it, why don't you come out and sleep on your bed, or...well, my bed," Red said since Purple's bed was in pieces.

"No," Purple said stubbornly. "It's too open, too big, not soft enough. The closet is awful," Purple scowled at his nest. "But it's better than out there."

"I see," Red said slowly, not understanding at all. "But Pur, you need to get your sugar levels checked. Can you come out just for that?" In answer Purple glared at him. "What about if Mik comes here?"

"Absolutely not," Purple hissed. "No one is allowed inside."

"You let me in," Red pointed out.

Purple blinked at him. "You're my mate, obviously you can come in."

"Ah, of course," Red said evenly. "Okay how about a compromise? Mik will come here," Purple hissed but Red continued. "But you don't have to leave the closet, just sit close enough for him to check on you. I will also be right here, he won't get in I promise."

Purple slumped down further into his blankets and mumbled grumpily, he alternated between glaring at Red and looking away. Finally he sighed, "Fine," he said not sounding happy about it.

"Thank you," Red said leaning close to gently rub their antennae together. While Purple no longer wanted to mate with male or female parts, he still liked when their antennae touched. Honestly, Red didn't mind. He didn't feel the desire to mate just from their touching. In fact when they rubbed antennae now he picked up a different scent, this one filled him with this odd sense of satisfaction and an urge to make Purple safe and happy.

When Red returned with Mik, Purple followed through with his promise and pushed the stuffing out of the way so he could sit at the edge of the closet. Mik used his specialized PAK reader to check his sugar levels. They were low, but not lower than they have been normally. He also brought along the regular sugar IV that was three times daily a part of Purple's routine.

"Why don't you relax in the gel bath while you have your IV?" Red suggested. "You said the smeet likes it, didn't you?" This got Mik's attention and his antennae perked up but Red shushed him with a shooing motion behind his back.

"Hmm," Purple was thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, he likes the floaty feeling."

"He'?" Mik piped up unable to stop himself despite Red's scowl. "How do you know the gender?"

Purple stared at Mik much like he had stared at Red when Red confronted him about eating the couch. "Well, he's not a female," Purple scoffed with an eye roll. Gathering himself up he carefully waddled over to his cleansing room where he could indulge in a hot gel bath. Mik stared after Purple and Red had an idea why. Purple always walked straight and evenly when they left their chambers, he made sure to have the same gait as if he wasn't so unevenly sized. However, in the privacy of their rooms he waddled around, finding that much more comfortable since his large abdomen made it impossible to wear his hover belt.

"I'll help settle him in," Red said nodding meaningfully at the closet. Before returning to the room, he and Mik had discussed what to do about Purple's newest eccentricities. It was clear they had to develop a more suitable resting place for the smeeting Tallest and Red had some ideas based on what Purple had said, but Mik wanted to see the nest himself to gain further information. So while Purple was distracted Mik poked his head into the closet to take notes and gather information. With his observations and Red's notes they would send a rough plan down to the engineer drones to see what they could create.

Knowing that Mik would have questions and wanting to go over their design once more Red left Purple floating in the gel after assuring him he was going to make sure Mik left. Not caring if Mik had seen enough, Red grabbed Mik by his PAK and carried him out of Purple's room then set him down on what was left of the couch.

"So? What do you think?" Red asked.

"You're right," Mik said not giving the rough treatment any mind. "I don't see any signs that he's _eating_ the stuffing again," Mik said with relief. "And I concur with your design for a better nest, but why is the shape designed so?" Mik asked pulling up the drawing Red made on his reader.

The nest Red designed was more like a giant mattress inside a teardrop shaped enclosure. It would hang from the ceiling to be only a few inches off the ground. Fabric walls reached around the entire bed up to the ceiling leaving only a opening for one taller Irken to crawl through.

"He said that the closet was too stagnant, and he likes floating in the gel. It takes the weight off his spine and he says that the smeet likes the movement," Red tapped the screen. "I figured a nest that can sway slightly would suit his needs. It's big enough, but also enclosed and not too dark or bright. Both of us should will be able to fit inside with plenty of room."

"I see," Mik said looking back at the design and nodding. "I will send this to the engineers and have them use the newest and softest materials from Vort. I will also send this design to Irk. They should be able to make simple and smaller versions of this nest for the smaller Irkens when they begin to smeet. All of the Irkens that were called arrived and after using the improved introduction methods some Irkens have begun to conquer their embarrassment and seek out the attention of others. The team is hopeful that mating pairs will form soon," Mik reported.

"Yeah, that's great," Red said disinterested as his attention was turned back to Purple's room. He didn't like leaving Purple's side longer than he had to, and he didn't like spending unnecessary time with Mik at all. He wanted to join his mate in a warm gel bath. "Send the plans down and have them finish it as soon as possible."

"Done, My Tallest," Mik said and with an antennae salute left his Tallest. Back in the lab he added today's report to his log and sent the plans to the medical team on Irk, once again reminding them of the importance of keeping smeeting Irkens content. He checked on their progress and was pleased to see that a few Irkens showed signs of being interested in particular partners. Separate rooms were created for pairing Irkens to mingle and display pre-mating rituals of snack sharing, and now a few of those rooms were being used. Hopefully in the next week or so there would be reports of mated pairs.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot happens in this chapter. More about Purple's background and the force that drives him to act how he does. Before becoming a Tallest he worked really hard and did everything to be the best. When they both became Tallest Red helped him mellow out a little with his confidence and lazy attitude, however Purple made sure that they at least got done what they needed to. 
> 
> About Purple's pregnancy Mik did write a log everyday but I only showed some of them. Also I love the image of Purple eating stuffing from the couch like it's not big deal and Red silently freaking out about it while trying not to provoke Purple. The smeeting Irken is very hostile towards others and is very aggressive towards others besides their mate. While their mates on the other hand become very protective of their mate. Persons who are not closely associated with a smeeting Irken will be the most safe away from the to-be parent and NEVER lay their hands on the stomach where the smeet is forming... unfortunately Mik found this out the hard way lol. 
> 
> In case it isn't clear the reason Purple was eating the stuffing was because he needed the fiber for his smeet. My idea is that Irkens have a semi-live birth. For most of the smeet's development it looks a lot like a mammal pregnancy. However near the end of the pregnancy the a hard shell casing will form around the smeet to protect it so the Irken will give birth to an egg, and then quickly afterwards the smeet will break free from the egg. A smeet can break free from their egg right after birth or it can take several days for the egg shell to become brittle enough for the smeet to break free.


	25. A Critical Decision

 

* * *

Purple floated in the warm gel bath. Despite their rooms being identical Red's cleansing chamber still felt different than his own. Purple couldn't tell exactly why it felt different, he just knew that it was. From beyond the wall he could hear the sounds of construction and despite the increasing curiosity he stayed in the bath.

It had been five days since he let Red into his horribly made nest. Despite hating it, Purple rarely left his sub-par sanctuary. As the days wore on he became less and less tolerant of other Irkens in his presence. Going to the bridge was impossible and Red went there on his own. If Purple went he would just be provoked into a rage at the mere sight of the others Irkens. He almost killed the pilots the last time he went there a few days ago. So to avoid the death of the crew Purple opted to stay in their chambers and work on reports from his reader. No one seemed displeased or critical of his decision. Red went in person to deal with anything that required their personal attention but he never stayed away long.

They had both been feeling this intense need to keep close to each other, or at least be able to see the other nearby. It wasn't a mating feeling. Purple hadn't felt those ever since the smeet gained enough weight to start pressing uncomfortably on his lower spooch. Well, that wasn't exactly true; he still felt the desire to mate with Red, he missed it actually, but it was physically impossible with the smeet in the way. They did try once and it had been so uncomfortable that neither of them felt any desire to try again. So he knew the draw he felt to be around Red wasn't because of wanting to mate, though the compulsion to be near his mate was just as strong. Purple started to become restless and irritated the longer he was away from Red and Red felt the same.

Knowing Red was in the other room, Purple's room, helped the restless feeling, but Purple still wanted to be near his mate. There were two reasons why Purple was not fulfilling that urge. One: there were smallers working on something in his room and he didn't want to have to deal with the clean up in the probable event that he tore them all apart. Two: Red wanted the 'something' they were setting up to be a surprise. So his mate had ushered him into his cleansing chamber and insisted that Purple stay here until the installation was complete. Purple wasn't too keen on smallers shuffling around in his personal space, but he was curious as to what Red had planned. So here he was, floating in the warm gel with perked antennae as he listened and tried to guess what was going on through the wall.

His hands absentmindedly rubbed his swollen abdomen. It had been equal parts horrifying and incredible to feel his smeet moving around inside him. It had taken Purple by complete surprise when he discovered that the smeet was already alive inside him. Cloned smeets had to be activated by their PAKs. Though Mik said that was the purpose of this whole thing, to have natural born smeets with new DNA that wouldn't need PAKs. The PAK-less smeets would grow as their species once did and when they reached their full potential the Control Brains would take samples of their DNA to create the next generation of cloned smeets.

Mik assured him that while the smeet was squirmy it wasn't yet conscious and wouldn't try to fight it's way out of Purple's body. He described it as a deep sleep and until separated from Purple, the smeet would stay safely developing inside him. Now that the egg shell had formed around his smeet, Purple couldn't feel the movement anymore, again Mik said that this was normal and scan showed that the smeet was still alive and well. Rubbing the bulging skin, Purple still couldn't decide if he missed sensing the movement or if he was relieved that he couldn't feel a _living_ _thing_ squirming around inside his body.

This whole ordeal had been weird and exhausting and full of experiences that Purple felt conflicted about. Part of him was proud and excited that his DNA had mixed with Red's and that he was making a smeet combined from the two of them. The other part of him was completely repulsed by the whole process; it was weird, uncomfortable, annoying and only in the deepest part of his mind would he admit that it had been scary. He'd never felt more exposed, vulnerable and weak; physically and mentally.

Sometimes he resented the smeet making him feel this way and grew angry. When Red wasn't around he told the thing growing inside him that he had better be worth it. Other times Purple caught himself making an odd clicking/purring sound as he rubbed the bulge and whispered to him that he was going to be the best smeet and the greatest Irken, because how could he not? He was made of both Red and himself. Purple never told Red of these times. He still couldn't decided which one caused him more embarrassment when he caught himself doing it.

The sounds changed next door and Purple sat up listening intently. His antennae perked and tilted, he scooted through the gel to sit as close to the door as possible and listened. The sound of construction had stopped and he heard doors open and close as the murmur of voices left. After waiting a little longer Purple still couldn't hear the smallers so he decided to chance a peak out of Red's room.

Standing he used his PAK legs to push himself up and out of the gel bath. Bending and standing up from a sitting position had become a real pain in the last few days and being lazy and using his PAK legs to move himself up was much more comfortable. However, because the hoverbelt no longer fit and walking on PAK legs was a bit too jarring, he was still forced to waddle around awkwardly.

Peeking into the common space, he didn't see any smallers and carefully listening he didn't hear anyone either. Slowly he crept into the space, still listening intently for any signs of other Irkens in his space. As he neared his room he could pick up the distinct vocal patterns of Red. He was talking to someone and Purple scowled at his door. He was about to go in ready to destroy whomever was in there alone with _his_ mate, until he recognized the voice as Mik's. The urge to do violence was diminished enough that Purple no longer felt murderous. He still hated the small medic, but because it was necessary he was able to tolerate his presence. He couldn't tell what they were saying and he knew he should wait until Red came to get him, but he was getting impatient. It was _his_ room _Irk it!_ He should be able to go in whenever he wanted. Besides, he had stayed away from his mate as long as he could. Now that the others were gone, he greatly desired to be near Red. He wanted to see him, hear his voice drift along his antennae and have his subtle scent fill the room. He needed Red close and weirdly enough Purple had the impression that the smeet did too.

Decision made Purple waddled into his room. The door _swooshed_ open, the noise making Red and Mik look up from their task. Mik paused, in his hands a purple pillow he was passing to Red. Purple's eyes widened as he took in the new addition to his room. It was large, taking up a good size of the space from floor to ceiling. He could describe it as nothing else but a giant hanging cloth pod. Inside the opening Red knelt, his hand reaching out for the pillow Mik had yet to hand him.

Upon seeing Purple enter, Red forgot the pillow and scrambled out holding out his arms as if to block Purple's view of the giant thing behind him.

"Hey! It's not ready yet," Red said waiving his arms trying to block Purple's vision as Purple stepped closer. Purple ignored his attempts at trying to stop him and walked pass. Knowing a losing battle Red let him pass, but he wasn't happy about Purple coming early and pouted as Purple stepped up to the entrance.

Purple was so focused on the thing in front of him he even forwent his usual attempt at kicking/shoving the medic who had clutched the pillow in his arms to his body in preparation for the usual violent outburst. Blinking in surprise, Mik also watched Purple step up to the entrance and peer inside.

The bottom of the pod was a large mattress covered in blankets and pillows both red and purple. The walls were all cloth, tightly stretched to hold the mattress. Light from the room seeped in through the cloth, but it was filtered in a way that diminished the light enough to appear comforting without being too dark. Wordlessly Purple crawled inside and he couldn't stop the happy chirp of surprise at the feeling of the mattress. It was unbelievably soft, but not so soft that he would sink into it. The blankets were made of the finest materials and he grabbed one rubbing it against his face to feel the silken texture.

_Ah, pure bliss_. Purple grabbed the nearby pillows and piled them up so he could lay on top of them. Grabbing one of the many blankets piled around he draped it around himself and wiggled down into the softness. With a content sigh he finally turned his attention to the grumpy Irken frowning at him from the entrance.

"I wasn't done putting all the pillows inside, I wanted to arrange them," Red whined.

Purple grinned at him from his blanket cocoon. Sticking out a hand he beckoned Red closer. With a defeated sigh Red climbed inside and Purple was able to see Mik behind him, watching with the kind of eyes Purple hated the most, observant ones, like he was watching the results of an experiment. Purple hissed at him, his antennae pointed back aggressively.

Red paused and turned back, he made shooing gestures at Mik.

"But I—," Red's glare silenced Mik. "I'll come back later for the scheduled check in," Mik said wisely deciding that Tallest Purple would be fine if he prolonged his medical check in a for a few hours. He quickly backed out of the room, not liking his odds with both Tallests displeased with his presence.

Once he was gone Red turned back to his beckoning mate. He crawled closer and Purple shifted to let Red inside his blanket and pillow cocoon. Red leaned close, lightly bumping their foreheads together so their Union marks overlapped. Antennae gently brushed against each other, gathering each others' scent and reaffirming the others' safety and presence. When they parted Red wiggled down in the mound to sit closely next to his mate.

"You like it?" Red asked knowing the answer but wanting Purple to say it regardless.

" m' both do," Purple murmured already closing his eyes. His mate was close once more and he was in a superior nest. He would rest and then he would snack and then maybe he would rub antennae more with Red. Purple got the sense that the smeet liked that plan as well. Purple's rest mode came quickly so he didn't get to see Red's smug grin as he wrapped his arms around his sleepy and happily content mate.

* * *

Purple only left his nest to use the gel bath or to allow Mik to scan him. He no longer wanted to leave his room so the medic came to him to check on the progress as it came closer and closer to the time when the smeet would be ready. It had been one hundred and fifty one days since the smeet had formed and Mik told him that the average time was one hundred and fifty days, but that a smeet could be a few days late. Purple hoped the smeet came soon, he was tired of being in his room, but at the same time he didn't want to leave. Purple recognized it as a weird instinct and because he felt safe and comfortable in the nest Red made for him, he wasn't too upset by his body taking over his actions.

Under the pile of blankets Purple rubbed his bulge unconsciously, the motion was self-soothing. He found himself in a positive mood regarding the smeet and was fantasizing about how the smeet would look or act, when a thought popped into his head. How was this smeet supposed to get out of his body? Mik told him early on that there was no chance of the smeet bursting out from his abdomen, so how was it going to get out? The egg was of a good size now about six inches long and five inches wide, with the smeet curled up inside.

He mulled over the question finding no logical solution. Mik arrived for his next scan as Red returned from his shift at the bridge. Purple sat at the edge of the nest as Mik scanned him. While he was looking over the data Purple asked his question.

"Oh, the smeet?" Mik answered half paying attention as he carefully reviewed the data, looking for any signs that the smeet was ready or if there was anything wrong. "It will come out the same way."

"What do you mean the same way?" Purple asked.

"The female reproductive organ will push out the egg through the same opening that the male reproductive organ used to create the egg," Mik answered and was relieved to see that nothing looked amiss. His antennae picked up on a distressed scent and he looked up to see his Tallest's skin looking rather pale. "My Tallest?" Mik frowned in concern.

Red also became alert as he noticed his mate grow tense. He hadn't really been paying attention as he had been looking over Mik's shoulder and reading the data, but something the medic said had clearly upset Purple.

Purple stared down in horror at the bulge. "It's not going to fit," he whispered in terror.

"My Tallest?"

"It's not going to fit!" Purple said louder his voice bordering on hysterical. "The egg is easily three times larger than that part!" he said flailing his arms around for emphasis.

"Ah, um, well, the body will adjust when the smeeting time comes," Mik said nervously. "It will expand to let the egg pass."

"Expand?! Expand where? What about the rest of my insides? Not to mention my bones. Will those expand too?!" Purple practicality screamed.

"Um," Mik said unhelpfully, it was true that as a Tallest he had a much more narrow frame than most Irkens. By Mik's quick calculations the egg was only slightly smaller than the space in his Tallest's skeletal frame. It would be a very tight fit, and Tallest Purple did bring up a good point that tissues and muscles were occupying that space. Mik only knew that the egg would pass through the female organ, but there wasn't much more detail on _how_ that was supposed to happen without crushing an Irken's insides, or crushing the egg as it passed by the bone. If the egg were to break inside, it would spell disaster as the shell pieces could cause severe internal damage.

Purple saw the uncertainty on Mik's face and it confirmed his fears. "I knew it!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Mik. "I knew there was a reason the Control Brains switched to using the cloning pods. The egg kills the host doesn't it? There is no way an Irken could survive this large a thing coming out of their bodies. It will rip me apart from the inside! I knew it! I knew the Control Brains didn't need two Tallests!"

Mik tried to calm his Tallest and admittedly denied his claims, but Purple was loud and he screamed his accusations over Mik's voice.

"Purple!" Red grabbed his flailing mate's face and held on tight until Purple focused on him. He stared his partner down. "You know that isn't true. We spoke with the Control Brains. They need us both, remember? You aren't going to die."

Purple calmed down slightly, but his antennae still vibrated with distress. "If it doesn't kill me, then it's going to ruin me. It will still tear me apart. We're Tallers, our PAKs can't handle that kind of organ damage," which was true. Smaller Irkens were a lot harder to kill as their PAKs didn't have to work so hard to maintain the body. They could heal damage faster, hence why all Invaders tended to be smallers. "It's going to destroy my organs and I'll be useless as a mate."

It took a moment but Red realized what Purple was worried about. His necessary spooch organs were located above the smeet, but his newly discovered and activated reproductive organs were all below the smeet. If in the smeeting process the egg crushed all those organs then they wouldn't be able to mate anymore. He knew Purple enjoyed mating with him as much as he did with Purple. It wasn't fair. They just became mates, it wouldn't be fair to take that away from them. He didn't want to lose that connection with Purple and looking at his mate, Red realized that Purple didn't want to lose that either.

"I won't let that happen," Purple said softly but his face was set with determination.

Red knew that look. It send thrilling chills down his spine. Purple's stubborn nature was what drew Red to him. No other Irken had the strength of will that Purple did. Purple slipped out of Red's grasp and ignoring Mik who still was trying to assure him that he wouldn't die, he walked over to his dresser. He rifled through the drawers where he kept some of his odds and ends and various object until he found what he was looking for. Red didn't know what Purple was doing, he was still lost in his own fantasies about Purple's expressions. It wasn't until Purple turned on the laser knife that Red had an inkling of what his partner was going to do.

"Purple, no!" Red cried and moving faster than any Irken Mik had ever seen, he raced towards Purple.

Mik didn't know what was going on, until he saw his Tallest angle the blade towards the bugle protruding from his body. Unable to move Mik stared in shocked horror as his Tallest pressed the blade to his body.

Red crashed into Purple, his PAK legs popping out to help steady him. He grabbed at the blade, his bare fingers touching the blade and the smell and sounds of burning flesh startled Purple enough into letting go of the blade and thus turing off. The two of them fell to the floor, unable to stop Red's momentum, but Red's PAK legs held him up enough so he didn't crush Purple. Red sat on Purple's legs and pinned his arms down, Red's PAK legs forming a cage around them.

"WHAT THE _IRK_ ARE YOU THINKING?!"

Purple's surprise wore off quickly and he glared back defiantly at Red. "I am not going to give up being mates with you for this smeet," Purple hissed.

"So you were going to stab it into tiny pieces?" Red snapped. "And do more damage to yourself in the process?"

"What? No!" Purple was shocked at the accusation. "I wasn't going to kill it, I was going to take it out!"

"What?!" Red was completely baffled at Purple's stupid logic.

"My PAK can heal damage from a clean wound, it can't heal crushed organs," Purple said defensively.

"You can't just cut it out, you'll hurt yourself and what if it's not ready?" Red said logically, but the edge of his rage was taken off once he understood Purple's thinking.

"It's going to hurt me either way," Purple pointed out and pulled his arms out from Red's grasp. He pushed Red off and sat up. "It's been one hundred and fifty one days, he should be ready by now," Purple said glaring down at the bulge. Looking around he spotted what he wanted and reached towards it. "He's overstayed his welcome inside my—," Purple cut himself short as his expression and body froze and his antennae stood straight up.

"Purple?" Red asked sensing the distress pouring from his mate.

Very slowly, without moving, Purple's eyes shifted to meet his. "It broke."

"What?" Red frowned and looked towards where Purple had been reaching. Seeing the discarded knife he knocked it away. "I don't care if the knife broke," he snapped.

"No," Purple said in a very soft voice, the kind of voice that someone on the verge of full-blown panic had. "Not the knife."

"What then?" Red asked starting to get a little worried himself.

Purple locked terrified eyes onto him. "The egg," he whispered.

Red's eyes went wide and he whipped his head around to stare helplessly at Mik.

"Don't move!" Mik held out both hands, thankfully he had been close enough to hear. His PAK sent an emergency message to Shlen to prepare the med bay and for a medical stretcher pod to be brought to the Tallest chamber's immediately. "Don't move," Mik repeated and rushed over to them.

He scanned Purple quickly. "The egg is broken," Mik confirmed and Purple made a whimpering sound. "You must not move," Mik instructed.

"What happened?" Red asked on the verge of panic himself. "Why did it break? What's going to happen? Why can't he move?"

"The egg shell's shards are very sharp, they can easily damage internal tissue," Mik said studying the image on his reader and making quick plans. "I've ordered a stretcher pod, it will be here shortly. The egg has broken, but the pieces are still roughly in the same place. If we are very careful we can move Tallest Purple to the stretcher without disturbing the shell."

"Then what?" Purple asked in a shaky voice. He was on his knees, leaning over and one arm supporting his weight. His arm began to shake and Red quickly slipped under him to hold his mate in place. Purple gripped Red to keep himself as steady as possible.

"Shlen is preparing for surgery. We will have to remove the smeet and shell pieces quickly."

"The smeet..." Red asked unable to ask the rest of the question.

"It is still alive," Mik assured him. "But we have to act quickly before—,"

His words were cut off as Purple cried out in pain, his grip on Red tightened and he clenched his teeth, biting off another scream.

Mik rescanned Tallest Purple and his fears were confirmed. The shell having been broken, the smeet naturally thought that it was time to break free of the shell and was moving around shifting the shell's pieces. One shell fragment had punctured the smeeting sack where the egg was housed.

A beeping alerted Mik to the arrival of the stretcher pod and he called it into the room. Together he and Red lifted Purple onto the stretcher as Purple tensed and was unable to prevent another scream of pain from escaping his throat. Purple could feel his insides tearing apart and excruciating pain enveloped his senses. As the pod's door closed over him delivering its sedating gas, Purple swore he felt something pierce though him completely. Luckily, darkness closed in on him before he could look down and confirm it.

* * *

Forgoing protocol in favor of speed, Mik used his PAK legs to propel himself and the stretcher pod down the hall. Tallest Red was at his heels running after them. The few Irkens they passed in the halls plastered themselves to the sides to avoid being run over. It didn't take them long to figure out what was going on and soon the whole Massive was unofficially aware of the fact that something was either very wrong with their Tallest or the smeet.

Unbeknownst to Red and Purple, the entire crew was excited about the prospect of a Tallest smeet. Many of them had never seen a smeet since they were smeets themselves and having a smeet aboard the Massive was exciting. Every Irken remembered their own mischief and smeet antics fondly. The idea of a tiny Tallest smeet running around the ship and causing trouble didn't cause any of them stress, instead they giggled at the notion. With a vague understanding of how smeets were created (a mix of DNA from two Irkens and grown inside one host Irken) there were bets among the crew on what qualities of which Tallest the smeet would have. Despite the odds, many Irkens were betting that the smeet would have Red's temperament. Or at least they all hoped the smeet would, one Tallest Purple was scary enough.

When word spread of the situation, and it did spread—like wildfire, an uneasy anxiety spread among the crew. Outside the medical bay doors Irkens began to gather in anxious droves. They waited with baited breath, many duties forgotten. They couldn't explain the need to be there, but many couldn't find a good enough reason to leave. If the Tallests needed anything any one of them could fetch it quickly. Also they wanted to hear the news, good or bad, as quickly as possible.

Inside the med bay the three Irkens were completely oblivious to the crowds growing outside the doors. Once the pod was in place at the medical table it opened and PAK legs quickly moved the prone Tallest onto the operating table. Mik immediately connected an IV to Tallest Purple to keep him unconscious and sedated. If he moved around even slightly it could make things worse. A shell piece had punctured through his skin and his blood was soaking his black clothing.

Shlen cut away the cloth giving them clean access. A quick scan showed Mik the damage that had been done and the state of the smeet. Tallest Red hovered behind them, fearful for both his mate and the smeet. He wasn't any help medically, but the medics knew better than trying to ask him to leave.

"Keep a close eye on him, inform me if he shows any signs of pain or consciousness," Mik instructed. Tallest Red nodded and moved to stand behind Tallest Purple's head so he could keep a close watch on his mate's face. Mik wasn't too worried about him waking up, but it would give Tallest Red something to do and keep him out of their way.

The scan showed that things were worse than he thought. The smeet's movements had shifted most of the sharp shell pieces. Since the egg had not left Tallest Purple's body, it didn't get a change to soften. The shards of the shell were still razor sharp. From the state of the scan and what his research had revealed about Irken eggs, it looked like the egg had stayed too long in Tallest Purple's body. The egg shell had become thin and brittle, but because it hadn't a chance to react to the air, the shell pieces hadn't softened. In order for a smeet to hatch, the egg's shell had to become thin and then it would soften so the smeet wouldn't be harmed by the shell's edges.

Since the egg had broken while still in the reproductive spooch sack, the shell was brittle and easy to break, but the pieces easily cut through tissue. The spooch sack was pierced in several places, and one large shell fragment had even punctured through Tallest Purple's skin completely and the sharp and narrow point could be seen outside his skin.

Due to the punctures the spooch sack had collapsed, surrounding both shell shards and the smeet like a wet blanket. Luckily, the smeet wasn't strong or aware enough to keep struggling and the sack was keeping it still. The sack was also keeping the large shell fragment in place as it pieced through Tallest Purple's skin. However, it's placement was also at a risk for the smeet. If the shell piece shifted backwards, it would pierce through the middle of the smeet. The collapsed sack was protecting the smeet, but now that it was hatched, the smeet would need oxygen. If it stayed too long in the sack it would suffocate or drown on the sack's protective juices, or Tallest Purple's blood as it pooled inside his body. If Mik wasn't careful the shell pieces could also slice through Tallest Purple's body and damage more of his organs. If any of the shell fragments remained in his body it would be like leaving small razors inside of him. Because the shell was organic and made from Tallest Purple's body, the PAK wouldn't pick up on them as dangerous foreign objects and remove them, like it would for normal shrapnel.

Right now all the pieces of the egg were still inside the collapsed sack. Some of the points had pierced though, but none had broken off yet. Mik had two choices. He could cut into the sack and carefully remove each shell piece and then carefully extract the smeet, but there was a very high risk of the shell pieces shifting around and harming the smeet or breaking off into Tallest Purple's body. If he did it this way, the sack would most likely be able to be repaired and healed with an intensive healing process. However, he would have to keep Tallest Purple in a semi-coma to allow his body to heal without the added strain of maintaining the tall Irken's body.

Or he could remove the sack.

He was certain he could get the sack out without further disturbing the shell pieces. Once free of Tallest Purple's body he wouldn't have to worry about fragments and could easily break off the pieces and cut into the sack to safety remove the smeet. But the sack would be destroyed and the PAK wasn't designed to regrow it. If he did this, there would be no way for Tallest Purple to have another smeet. Mik didn't see it as necessary to mention it before, but there were documented cases from long ago that even if the hatching went well, not all smeets would survive the first few days. If this smeet died there would be no chance for another Tallest made smeet. With the two Tallest becoming mates they would never seek out other Tallers to mix DNA with.

All of this internal debate took Mik only a few seconds to process. He weighed all his options before coming to a decision. Taking a deep breath, he placed the scalpel along Tallest Purple's skin and made his incision.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite the odd instinctual attachment Purple still hasn't formed any parental bond with his potential smeet. At this point the only attachment he has for it is because half of the DNA is Red's and Red is his therefore the smeet is also his. 
> 
> About Irken births:  
> The eggs are formed because in the very last stages of smeet development is when the brain fully forms. To protect itself in this very delicate and vital part of its growth, the smeet embroyic sack becomes an egg shell and the fluids inside coushin and help protect the smeet from any external damage. A smeet's shell before it is ready to hatch is incredably strong. An Irken could get punched directly in the gut and the assulting Irken's hands would break before the shell developing in the smeeting Irken did. 
> 
> This also developed evolutionarily because in this final stage a smeeting Irken and thier mate become very territorial and hostile towards any other Irken. It is nearly was unavoidable when the ancient tribe-like Irken ancestors developed for the smeeting Irken to NOT get in a fight. Of course the attacked Irken would fight back even if it knew the other was smeeting. So to protect itself the smeet's shell grows strong in order for the smeeting Irken to fight without holding back. 
> 
> In the tribe like ancient culture taller Irkens were often the leaders and were more commonly the oldest members as well, who had found mates early in their adult life and most likely already had their own smeets. Taller Irken's bodies are not ideal for smeeting as their thin bodies make birth difficult. However they make excellent leaders and fighters. In the ancient times if a taller did not find a mate before a certain height was met they usually did not find one ever, or took measures to bond with their partner without creating a smeet (unless their partner was smaller than them and could be a receiver). 
> 
> In this case, if the shell hadn't broken and Purple went into labor manually there was a good chance that Mik might have had to do a C-section regardless. But not before Purple's pain-induced labor rage would scare him and Red witless.


	26. Maroon

 

* * *

... _Beep...Beep... Beep...Beep..._

 _Irk_ , that was annoying. What the _Irk_ was Red doing that was making such an antennae grating sound? Irritated, Purple wanted to flick his antennae to subtly tell his mate to _T_ _urn._ _It._ _Off._ However, he found his body unresponsive. Panic stabbed at his spooch and Purple fought against the drowsiness of his rest mode to become more awake. Using a great amount of will, he pulled himself up from sleep and was able to slowly open his eyes. Bright lights assaulted his vision and he winced with a hiss, closing his eyes again.

He heard a rustling beside him and familiar fingers touched the side of his face.

"Pur?" he knew the voice as Red's but the shaky fear, the scratchiness didn't sound like him at all. Concerned, Purple squinted and blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the light. It was taking longer than normal, but Red's face came into focus. "Pur," Red said relieved, his usual bright eyes more faded and the skin around his face was paler than normal. Before Purple could respond, Red leaned forward to press their Union marks together. His antennae fell forward and in spastic, desperate movements rubbed against Purple's limp ones. The touch sent a _zing_ though his body, which he suddenly gained feeling in and found he was extremely sore and overtly sensitive.

"Red," Purple hissed slightly annoyed. He tried moving his hands up to push Red back but all he managed to do was twitch his fingers. "Stop it, I can't move," he said wanting his mate to stop sending his body mating feelings when he had no _Irken_ idea what was going on and everything hurt.

"It's okay," Red said finally pulling back and holding Purple's face in his hands.

Purple thought that this was decidedly _not_ okay and glared at him.

Red ignored the glare and continued to touch his face, almost as if confirming that Purple was still there. "Mik just disabled your PAK's connection to your nervous system."

" _What?!"_ Everything about what Red just said was _still_ very much _NOT_ okay.

"At the last moment, a shell piece broken off and slipped right between your vertebrae to slice through your spinal cord. Mik disabled your nervous system so your PAK could focus it's main healing on your spine. He manually catheterized the internal bleeding and stitched everything back together so your body could easily heal itself. The small wounds took longer to heal since your PAK wasn't aware of them and couldn't boost the healing, but your spine is nearly whole. Mik says in another day he can reconnect your PAK and you'll be able to move freely. But um," Red looked away briefly, a little nervous. "The large incision will leave a scar."

As Red spoke Purple could feel his mind coming awake as it absorbed all this new information. The medically induced paralysis made sense. If his PAK was focused on healing too many areas at once, his spine might not heal properly in time and cause lasting damage. Somehow he had been hurt and he could gather that he was in the med bay. But incision? That implied a medically necessary wound. And shell? What kind of—

Purple froze. Slowly he looked down his body, he was covered with thin white sheet but he could see his form easily enough. His eyes traveled past Red to stare at his abdomen. His _flat_ abdomen.

"Red," Purple said unable to keep the shaky fear out of his voice. His antennae vibrating with the dread and panic he felt creeping up from his spooch. " _Red_ , _Red_ , _Red!_ " Purple chanted as blind panic took hold of him while he stared down. Since his PAK was disconnected from his body, his organic brain, instilled with primal fear, overrode the hold his PAK had on his body. Purple's arms shook and his legs twitched as feeling came back to them. He tried to move back, almost as if trying to escape from his own body.

Red grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down, it was fairly easy in his weakened state. In a soft and even voice he tried to calm Purple, telling him to shush and that it was okay.

Purple rounded on his mate and gripped Red's arms. Unable to escape the truth about what was missing, in full blown panic Purple directed all his fear and anger onto Red. "How is any of this okay!? _WHERE IS MY SMEET?"_ Purple screeched.

Following Purple's shrieking, a thin wail pierced through the air.

Red sighed and after gently pushing back his shocked mate into the bed, he stood. Wearily he walked across the room. "I _told_ you to be quiet," Red shot him an accusing glance _._ He bent down and cooed softly, though the wailing continued. Straightening back up he turned, one arm cradled close to his chest. Belatedly, Purple realized Red wasn't wearing his Tallest armor. Behind Red's long fingers was a tiny green _something_ , Purple couldn't see the moving thing clearly. Red stopped next to Purple's bed and frowned at Purple as he studied him.

"Can you move your arms properly?" Red asked.

Purple was transfixed on the crying thing hidden in Red's hold. Now that he wasn't ridden with fear it was more difficult for him to move. He tried to mimic Red's posture, but he couldn't hold his arms up for more than a few seconds. He looked up at Red with a silent desperate plea. He _needed_ to see, to hold, what was in Red's arms.

"Here, try this," Red said using his free hand to move a pillow under Purple's elbow to prop up his arm. Once satisfied with it's position, Red transferred his softly crying charge onto the pillow, resting the head against the crook of Purple's arm.

Purple stared down at the tiny smeet. He wasn't even as long as Purple's fingers. He had tiny little legs which kicked tiny little feet. Small puny arms flailed around tiny little hands balled up in unhappy fists. His head was the biggest thing about him, larger than the length of his body and though his eyes were shut tight as he wailed, Purple could tell that they encompassed most of his head. Two thin antennae lay against the pillow, flicking to show how unhappy he was.

It was difficult to move, like Purple's arms were made of lead, but he managed to get his free hand over to the smeet. With one finger he poked at the tiny fist, easily opening it. The smeet's tiny hand gripped onto Purple's fingertip, just barely covering it.

Emotions and foreign thoughts flew through Purple. Confused and overwhelmed, Purple looked up at Red. "He's so tiny. So, So tiny," he looked back to the smeet and moved the finger that the smeet had grabbed. He moved down to the smeet's mouth and poked at the trembling chin. "Why is my spooch being so weird? I like that he's so tiny. Why? Why do I like that he's so tiny, Red!?" Purple said in hushed tones but still very much on the edge of panic. He turned back to Red for support. "He's tiny. He shouldn't be tiny. He needs to be a Taller, why am I so excited to see such a small thing!?"

"It's okay," Red said reassuringly, he knew exactly what Purple was going through. As a race that valued height above everything, it was a very weird and fear provoking feeling to look at something so small and feel such strong emotions. "Mik explained it to me," Red said wanting to assure Purple that nothing was wrong with his PAK and that there were no brain-worms taking him over.

"He says that this is a defense mechanism ingrained into some organically producing species. Because the smeetlings of many species can't live on their own, they cause this reaction in the adults to ensure that they will be cared for and protected until they get bigger. The adults of the species react this way to make up for the fact that otherwise taking care of smeetlings wouldn't be something anyone would want to do. It ensures the survival of a species. What you're feeling is basic instinct that not even the PAKs can filter out, this reaction is encoded into the very basis of our DNA."

Purple did feel better after hearing Red's explanation. If this was supposed to happen, if it was normal then he wouldn't have to fight it. He could accept these new sensations. They didn't exactly feel bad, just very overpowering, similar in intensity to his mating feelings for Red.

A wet and warm sensation on his finger drew Purple out of his thoughts to look back down at the smeet. Since Purple had been lightly rubbing his chin the smeet decided to counter attack the probing thing and latched on with both little hands. He sucked it into his mouth and began gnawing on it with his gums. For the smeet this felt good because his gums were achy and biting things made them feel better. Also the sounds around him weren't loud or startling and the scents lingering around his antennae were the ones he liked the best.

Looking up, two large ones looked down at him. He knew one. One was good. He brought good things, like warm and touch and soft sounds. He also brought sweet good things to drink. The other large one was new, but the scents here was good, familiar. He didn't know why but he was beginning to like this one a lot too. But to be certain, more chewing and gnawing on him was required.

"His eyes," Purple said looking down at his smeet. "They look like a mix of red and purple, of us." Purple caressed the little smeet's cheek with his other finger. "They are maroon."

The smeet let go of Purple's finger and began squealing happily. Pumping his little limbs and letting out happy squeaking sounds. He knew this large one's voice. This was the voice from the warm safe place. This was his favorite voice! This large one was his favorite!

A lopsided grin formed on Purple's face as he watched the little smeet's happy display. "He likes it. He doesn't have a PAK to give him a name. I'm choosing Maroon," Purple said lightly rubbing the top of his smeet's head. The little smeet closed his eyes at the touch and began making a soft vibrating sound. "Welcome to life, Irken Maroon, report for duty."

The little smeet continued to purr and feeling happy and warm he curled back up. He had been woken up after all and he wanted more sleep while feeling these large ones' presence around him.

Purple made as _tch_ sound disappointed that the smeet was asleep again, but also did not wanting to disturb him. "I'll make him greet me later. It's the least he can do."

"He can't talk yet," Red said sitting down next to the bed so he could watch the smeet sleep while he talked in hushed tones with his mate.

"What? Why not? There isn't anything wrong, right?" Purple looked back down at the smeet for any obvious signs.

"Nothing's wrong," Red said reaching out to stroke the little smeet's cheek as he slept. "But without a PAK to download knowledge into him, he knows nothing yet. We're going to have to teach him everything."

"Oh, right," Purple said remembering Mik talking about that. "He's going to become the greatest Irken ever. He'll have the greatest Irkens teaching him, us," Purple said grinning up at Red.

"He's made of the greatest Irkens ever," Red said sharing Purple's grin.

* * *

Mik received an alert that Tallest Purple had woken up. He walked briskly towards the med bay on his way back from a meeting with the Control Brains, updating them on everything and explaining the medical choices he had made. Thankfully, the Control Brains agreed that he made the most logical decision under the circumstances.

Rounding the corner he sighed at the large crowd of Irkens that had gathered again. It had been startling to say the least to find the oddly silent and apprehensive group outside of the med bay. Upon seeing him they demanded answers about the smeet and Tallest Purple. After assuring them that both were fine, he still couldn't convince them to leave. It wasn't that they didn't believe him, but they wanted to _see_. Mik knew that there was no way Red would allow anyone inside the med bay but himself and Shlen. He barely even let Mik near the smeet. There was no way he would let other Irkens in, not even if it was through a video. Red wouldn't even leave the med bay until Purple regained consciousness.

Luckily, the cut to Tallest Purple's spinal cord was a clean one and redirecting his PAK's energy to focus on healing it was making the process much faster. It had only been twenty five hours since the egg had broken and Tallest Purple's spine was almost completely healed, if he didn't overexert himself and disturb the healing process that was. Tallest Purple should be waking soon, the last he checked his PAK was close to switching out of intense healing mode; which would pull him out of the medically induced coma his PAK had put him in.

Mik secretly hoped that Tallest Purple would wake before he was fully mobile. Mik had many things to explain to him and he wasn't sure how his Tallest would take the news. The less able his Tallest was, the more likely Mik was to get away unscathed.

As Mik stepped into the med bay and the doors closed behind him, he was met with chaos.

"I didn't do anything!"

"You must have done something! He's leaking! You—STOP SQUEEZING HIM YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE!"

"I'M NOT SQUEEZING HIM!"

Mik blinked as he walked in on his Tallest yelling at each other. From the bed, Tallest Purple was weakly waving his arms around in a panic as Tallest Red held up the small smeet out as far from him as possible. The smeet was leaking fluid from between his legs, but was not the least bit distressed. He pumped his little legs and arms in the air, seemingly finding being waved about in the air as he leaked great fun.

It took Mik a moment to figure out how to breathe again. His initial reaction was to be as panicked as his Tallest about the possibility of something being horribly wrong with the smeet, but thankfully he had been doing a great deal of research about the smeets of other species that were the most similar to Irkens. Since the smeet didn't seem to be in distress, he had a good idea of why the smeet was leaking.

The stream leaking from the smeet soon stopped and both Tallest looked relieved but still greatly concerned. It was then that they noticed Mik.

"Mik!" Tallest Red said relief clear in his voice. He thrust the smeet down in front of Mik's face. "Something is wrong, he was just leaking all over the place. Fix him!"

The little smeet squealed in delight and immediately reached out to grab at one of Mik's antennae. Mik moved his antennae out of reach at the last second, he knew to keep them out of the smeet's reach after the last time. For a smeet, he still had a strong grip and had no qualm about giving Mik's antennae a good tug. Mik would rather not repeat the experience.

He took the smeet from Tallest Red, and while the smeet could easily fit into Tallest Red's hand, Mik had to carry the smeet in both of his arms to him hold him properly. Since his antennae were out of reach, Mik had to sacrifice his face as the smeet latched his tiny hand onto his lip and gave it a good pull. Mik quickly set the smeet down into the small clear scanning pod. The glass dome closed over the smeet so he couldn't escape as Mik ran his scans. He also had the lab clean up the mess on the floor after obtaining a sample of the fluid.

The results of the scan confirmed Mik's suspicions. He went over to the lab's fabricator and typed in the code for what he needed. It popped out a pink rectangle of specialized material with closing mechanisms. Mik took the material and opened the smeet's pod. Slipping the fabric under the smeet, it activated to wrap itself around the smeet's hips and between his legs. Mik picked up the smeet and handed him back to Tallest Red.

"Leaking is completely normal among completely organic species," Mik began. "It is getting rid of the nutrients and substances that the body cannot use or absorb. It also helps flush the organic body of any toxins or harmful substances. Irkens do not have to worry about this as our PAKs filter out and destroy these for us, and the taller the Irken the more their body will need to absorb so there would be very little for the PAK to take care of.

"As a growing smeet he will need a great amount of nutrients to aid in the growth of his body, so his body will constantly be expelling old nutrients. As a smeet he has no control of when his body does this, but as he grows he will eventually learn how to control this releasing process. Many species have specialized chambers that they use for the exclusive purpose of disposing of their bodies unneeded substances," Mik explained noticing that both his Tallest looked relieved.

"So what's this for?" Tallest Red asked pointing to the pink thing around his smeet.

"Ah, yes, this is called a diaper by most species. It's purpose is to collect the smeet's unneeded substances. I've designed it so that when the smeet has dispelled his body's waste this symbol will appear on the fabric," Mik said and pointed to a screen displaying the image. It looked like face that was displayed on smeet cloning containers when the smeet inside was ready to come out. "Press the sides here," Mik pointed to the spots on the smeet's diaper, "And the diaper will come off. The material can be cleaned completely with a concentrated form of cleansing gel, but it will need to be washed more vigorously to completely disintegrate the waste.

"It is similar to how the Irkens in the engineering department rid their uniform of oil and grease stains. A simple gel bath or cleansing chalk isn't enough, so they use cleansing machines to fully clean their uniforms, which is why they are issued two uniforms. One, to wear and one to have as an extra for when theirs is too stained to wear. To make things more convenient we can install these machines in your cleansing chambers and when the smeet is older a separate facility for disposing of his body's waste can be added in," Mik concluded feeling rather proud of himself that he had come up with all of this on his own.

"How often will he be leaking?" Tallest Purple asked.

"Hmm," Mik went over to his computer and did some quick analysis. "From these calculations, at least once or twice a cycle."

"What?! So often?" Tallest Purple eyed the smeet. "He's so small, how can he leak _that much_ every day and still be able to grow?"

"He drinks _a lot_ ," Tallest Red answered, his voice sounded annoyed but his expression didn't match. He quirked a smile at the smeet, resting in the hand he had cradled against his chest. The smeet was rolled on his side and nawing on one of Tallest Red's long fingers. "We've been giving him liquefied sugar once every hour."

"He needs an IV on top of snacks?" Tallest Purple asked alarmed.

Tallest Red winced at the mention of an IV. "Ah, no. At first we tried giving him snacks, but look," Tallest Red came closer so he could move his finger in the smeet's mouth and show Tallest Purple inside. "He has no teeth yet. He can't chew any snacks, we tried giving him some, but he almost choked on them. So we gave him an IV, but he, ah, didn't like it," Tallest Red said and Mik nodded vigorously. After having the needle, even using the smallest one Mik had, pierce his skin the little smeet screamed so loudly and at such a high pitched volume that their antennae hurt just thinking about it. It was a wonder Tallest Purple hadn't been pulled from his healing sleep at the sound.

"So Mik came up with this liquid form that he can drink. It isn't as strong as an IV, but it's better than any Irken soda, which he also doesn't like and refuses to drink. I've been giving him the liquid sugar every hour or so."

"Hm," Tallest Purple said thoughtfully as he studied the smeet. Reaching out, which seemed to take a lot of effort, he poked the smeet's cheek. The smeet blinked in surprise at the poke and removing his mouth from Tallest Red's finger, he chomped down on the thing assaulting his cheek. He wrapped his tiny hands around Tallest Purple's finger as he chewed with his toothless mouth.

Tallest Purple made a playful hissing sound, mocking an aggressive noise, as he wiggled his finger in retaliation. The smeet kicked his legs and made chirping noises, his little antennae wiggling happily at the play fight.

"He has good fighting instincts," Tallest Purple said smiling proudly. "It makes sense that he needs sugar that often," he commented. "That's about the frequency of the IV's I needed. Since some of the sugar was being used by my body, it's about the same amount he received while in the spooch sack."

At the mention of 'spooch sack' Tallest Red tensed and Mik swallowed nervously.

"Ah, um, yes, well," Mik began fluttering his hands anxiously. Somehow explaining had been much easier to the Control Brains, not the subject himself. "About your reproductive spooch sack," he began and Tallest Purple looked away from his smeet to quirk an inquisitive antennae at the fumbling medic.

"What about it?" he asked.

"You see, when the egg broke and the shell pieces shifted, it pierced the spooch sack in several places putting you and the smeet at great danger. The pieces were razor sharp," Mik said.

"Yes, Red told me about that," Tallest Purple said a little irritated at the repeat information. "He told me about you shutting down my PAK's systems to focus on healing my spine. You'll connect everything properly tomorrow, correct?" Tallest Purple said not really asking a question but stating a demand. "It's _Irken_ hard to move my limbs. I feel numb and sluggish."

"Oh, yes, I'm surprised you can move at all. Your organic brain must be taking over movements in the PAK's absence, which is quite remarkable," Mik said but hurried along when he saw his Tallest glare at him. "But yes, tomorrow your spinal cord should be healed completely and I will reestablish your PAK connections. Your body should feel completely normal then, there will be no lasting effects from the spinal injury at least."

Tallest Purple's antennae perked up and he eyed Mik suspiciously. "You worded that oddly, medic."

"Oh, uh..." Mik looked away growing nervous again. "As I said before the shell was a very dangerous threat to both you and the smeet. Should any of the pieces shift they could pierce you or the smeet. Actually," Mik said thoughtfully as he looked back. "If your spooch sack hadn't collapsed in on itself both you and the smeet would have sustained a great amount of damage. You PAK could have healed a lot of the damage, but the smeet might not have survived."

Tallest Purple gave his smeet an anxious glance, as if to confirm that they were no injuries on him. It was then Tallest Purple saw Tallest Red's expression and he frowned before his eyes narrowed and he glared back at Mik.

"What happened?" Tallest Purple demanded to know. "Something happened. Red wouldn't look like that if everything was fine. What happened, _Mik?_ " Tallest Purple bit out Mik's name causing the little medic to wince.

"I've already spoken to the Control Brains," Mik began defensively trying his best to ease into the topic. "They agreed that under the circumstances I choose the most logical pathway to success."

"What did you do, Mik?" Tallest Purple said in an eerily calm voice. "What did you do to me? WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

Mik yelped and jumped at Tallest Purple's shout and it startled the smeet whom began to cry. Tallest Red held the smeet close to him and tried to sooth him by rubbing his head with one finger. Tallest Purple gave a quick remorseful glance towards his upset smeet, but then turned that guilt into fury as he gave Mik a glare promising death. It was Mik's fault he upset his Tallest so much that he shouted and thus upset his smeet. The upset sounds from the smeet, mirrored Mik's own completely and he broken down and began crying as well.

"It's gone!" Mik wailed in despair, feeling guilt and remorse and grief over his inability as a medic to do anything more. "I had to remove your reproductive spooch sack. It was the best option to quickly assure your and the smeet's survival. Yet even then you were still harmed and you have permanent scars on your body. I'm a failure as a medic!" Mik lamented and fell to his knees in a hysterical sobbing mess.

"...You mean I'm no longer a recessive gendered Irken?" Tallest Purple asked after a moment of shocked silence. "Red and I won't be able to fully mate anymore?"

"What?" Mik said through his blubbering. "No, those parts are still there and functioning. There is enough of the spooch sack that your will have all the sensation of mating, but it will be useless!" Mik said beginning to wail again. "You will never be able to have more smeets!"

" _WHAT!?_ " Tallest Purple's rage was so sharp and intense that his voice even silenced the smeet into a stunned silence, though his lower lip still quivered.

" _The Control Brains wanted me to keep making smeets!?_ " Tallest Purple voice was laced with indignant fury.

 _"..._ pardon? _"_ Mik asked in a small voice, his confusion making his hysterics stop.

"The Control Brains," Tallest Purple hissed. "They wanted to make me into a some sort of Tallest smeet-making drone! Didn't they?" He said his voice taking on a hint of insanity that terrified Mik. Tallest Red mirrored his expression and he took a step back from his scary mate, instinct had him holding his smeet protectively and even the smeet, as young as he was, had instincts that made him stay very quiet.

It took Mik a brief terrified moment to process what his Tallest was saying. Once he did he knew _right away_ that he had to fix this misunderstanding or else doom would fall upon all of them.

"NO!" Mik shouted a little too loudly in his haste to gain his Tallest attention. As sacrilegious it was to shout at his Tallest, it worked and he (terrifyingly) had his Tallest's full attention. "No, my Tallest," Mik said more in control of his voice and he bent, wiggling his antennae respectfully. "No, the Control Brains never spoke of such things. Nothing like that was ever their intention. No, my Tallest, you see, many organically reproducing species will mate and produce offspring more than once. Many species desire to have several offspring."

Tallest Purple gave him a incredulous look. "Why on _Irk_ would any creature _want_ to go through all that more than once?"

"I, ah, um, don't know, my Tallest," Mik fumbled, the aftermath of the extreme emotions he had been feeling almost too much for his PAK to process.

Tallest Purple made an irritated sound. "I have Maroon, I don't need—or want—another smeet."

"Maroon?" Mik asked.

"That's his name," Tallest Purple said limply gesturing towards Tallest Red who was holding the wide-eyed smeet. "He doesn't have a PAK to give him a name, so I did. You got a problem with that?" he glared at Mik.

"No! No, of course not," Mik said quickly. "It is a very superior name."

"It is, isn't it?" Tallest Purple said proudly as he looked over at the two and gave a short laugh. "Red, you and Maroon are making the same face. I'm not mad, let me hold him," he said.

Mik looked over in time to see Tallest Red shift from wide-eyed and weary to slightly embarrassed. He schooled his features and laid the tiny smeet on the pillow next to Tallest Purple. The smeet had his little limbs curled up into a protective ball and his wide eyes looked pitiful as Tallest Red withdrew. His antennae were flat against his head as he stared up at the previously furious Tallest.

"Don't look at me like that," Tallest Purple lightly chided as he poked at the smeet's pouting lip with his finger.

Tentatively the smeet opened his mouth and lightly gummed the finger. After a moment he grew braver and his tiny hands unfurled to grab onto Tallest Purple's finger. Within a few short seconds after that, he was actively gnawing on Tallest Purple. His little legs kicked and his antennae fell forward in what was possibly the most adorable aggressive display Mik had ever seen.

His spooch did this weird spasm and Mik felt this compulsive desire to smash his head against something. His PAK couldn't handle this _OVERWHELMING_ feeling. The smeet was just too tiny, too adorable. No other smeet made him feel this way. He'd seen thousand of smeets on Irk, but they all had PAKs and were fully alert Irkens from the moment of activation. This smeet didn't know anything. It couldn't even speak! So everything he did, every action was just so... so... _GAH!_ Mik tugged at his antennae, needing the pain as a distraction.

"It's odd that he likes to chew, but won't eat," Tallest Purple observed. "What did you try giving him?"

"The usual," Tallest Red shrugged, paying more attention to his mate and smeet than the internally distressed medic. "Chips, those gummy things you like, donuts, we even tired an Irken burrito."

Tallest Purple made a thoughtful noise. "Remember those poofy snacks? The ones we hated because they turned into a gross mush the second you started to chew them? Are there any still on board?"

"You think he'll like them?" Tallest Red asked.

"All the things you tried, you have to really chew to eat. Those mush ones tasted fine, the texture was just gross, and he won't have to chew to eat them. Oh! And the dip-n-lick snacks. Those should be fine too," Tallest Purple said. "I don't really like those, too much work for so little snack, but I know they are popular among the smallers. They're in every vending machine on Irk."

"I know where we can get some," Mik said happy to have something to distract him from his weird feelings in the smeet's presence. He rushed out of the med bay and the large group of Irkens waiting outside perked up their antennae. "Tallest Purple has awoken," Mik addressed the group. "He requires dip-n-licks and mushy poofs for the smeet!"

There was a breath of stillness as this information sunk in, then there was a mixed up cluster of Irkens all trying to move and go every direction at once. It created a jam of bodies, but it quickly cleared as each Irken ran to their snack stashes hoping that they had one of the desired snacks to offer to their Tallest and the new smeet. Any chance to get on Tallest Purple's good side was a rare and valuable chance indeed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BABY MAROON! 
> 
> Natural born Smeets are a lot like most babies and like to chew on everything. In terms of intelligence and awareness a smeet's is low for a normal Irken, but very high compared to a human baby. 
> 
> Also the three are the first Irkens in long long time to experience extreme cuteness, and they are no match for the innocent adorableness that is a smeet. It's not just that the smeet is small, but that it behaves in a certain way. If all small things were cute to Irkens then the smallers would be treated better and smeets with PAKs would be treated differently. PAK wearing Irkens are endowed with knowledge and intelligence so they skip that cute phase in their development, but little Maroon is just oozing it and no adult Irken will be safe. PAK's filter out or damper a lot of emotions, but if an emotion is to strong it is impossible for the PAK's to do anything about it. Having not built up any resistance to seeing cute things many Irkens are going to have a very difficult time.
> 
> Also the Tallest's parental instincts are starting to kick in now that the smeet is there. To Purple, Maroon is no longer an abstract thing and seeing him is awakening his deep seeded instincts.


	27. Cuteness Overload

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG. Re-editing this I realized that there was a missing part in the story. Somehow when originally copying over the chapter from my original word doc a piece didn't get highlighted. 
> 
> SO the first part of this chapter is a NEVER BEFORE SEEN section. With some cute smeet interactions between the Tallest and Mik.

It wasn't long before Mik returned with an arm load of snacks. “I've sent the rest to your chambers,” Mik said behind the large mound. He dropped them on a table. Just this once he was fine with food in the med bay, it was medically necessary for the smeet after all. He grabbed one of each kind of snack and presented it to Tallest Red. “Should you need anymore let me know. All these snacks were given up by the crew.”

“The smallers all gave up their snacks?” Red said taking the packages from the medic. He was slightly impressed. Mik was implying that a lot of snacks had been given up. “Which one should we try first?” Red asked holding up each snack.

“Hmm, let's try the mush ones first,” Purple said and waited for Red to open the package and hand him one of the green poofs. It was shaped a lot like a cheesy poof which was deeply deceptive because it did not taste or feel like a cheesy poof at all. Purple pulled his finger out of the smeet's mouth and broke the mushy poof into a small piece.

The smeet waved his little fists angrily when Purple pulled away. His face scrunched up preparing to cry, when Purple put the poof against the smeet's mouth. His big eyes popped open and he chomped down on the offering. His feet kicked in delight as he gummed the snack into mush.

“See?” Purple said smugly. “I knew he'd like them.”

A distressed gurgling drew Purple's attention from Red back to the smeet. Lying back on the pillow, the mush filled the back of his mouth and he was choking on it.

“Hey, sit up while you eat,” Purple said shifting his arm to prop up the smeet. He stopped choking, and was able to swallow. However, the pillow was at a slant and since the smeet's head was much larger than his body he was top heavy. His head tipped forward and not yet grasping the concept of counter balancing, the smeet somersaulted down the pillow to land flat on his back on the bed. While he hadn't gone far, nor was he hurt, the disorientation of having the world spin rapidly around seemingly without warning was very startling and scary to the smeet and he began crying.

Neither Red nor Purple had expected the smeet to fall forward and were just as startled as the smeet. It wasn't until he began crying that Purple moved.

“Hey, don't lean forward so much, if you don't want to roll,” Purple said gently propping the smeet into a sitting position.

Having the large one supporting him again made the smeet calm down and he stopped crying.

“See, there you go, now just sit and snack,” Purple praised as he presented the smeet with the other piece. The smeet eagerly took it, and Purple pulled away his hand so he could break another mushy poof in half.

Without the support holding him upright, the smeet leaned forward a little too much again as his antennae wiggled happily while he snacked. Still not grasping the concept of balance the smeet fell forward onto his face, his legs kicked out behind him and he flailed about crying unhappily at the unpleasant position he suddenly found himself in.

“Well!” Purple tried a third time to balance the smeet so he could feed him, but this time the smeet leaned back too far and he rolled back onto the top of his head, his small body flailing about in the air above him.

“What's wrong with him?” Purple demanded of Mik, refusing to believe that his smeet was so stupid that he couldn't even hold himself up properly. He moved the wailing smeet onto his back and propped him up against the bottom of the pillow.

“I believe that his head is too heavy for his body to hold up,” Mik said having watched the display with a scientist's observant eye.

“Smeets can stand when they are first hatched, he should be fine,” Purple snapped.

“That's after a PAK has been attached,” Mik said, his mind working out possible theories as he spoke. “Perhaps the PAK's weight helps counterbalance, and the PAK's programming might strengthen the neck and body's muscles to hold up an Irken's head right after activation. He was being carried the entire time in your spooch sack, those muscles might not have had time to develop. Since PAKless smeets develop slowly he might have to grow slightly bigger before such a balance can be maintained on his own. His reactions suggest that he doesn't have a concept of balance.”

“What?” Purple said irritated that Mik should think that their smeet was that stupid. He broke off another piece of the mushy poof and gave it to the smeet, however the smeet turned his head away refusing the snack.

“See!” Mik said excitedly, his scientist's mind lighting up with his new discoveries. “He doesn't realize the consequence of his own actions and is instead associating the falling with the snack. Each time he fell was right before he began eating the poof, so he thinks it is a direct result of the snack. Fascinating!” Mik said propping his elbows on his legs and leaning forward in his seat to rest his head on his hands.

“It's not fascinating! It's stupid,” Purple pouted. “Our smeet is not stupid. So fix him.”

“What?” Mik perked up with a frown. “Oh no, My Tallest, quite the opposite this display shows he is quite intelligent. While we have a full understanding of our bodies and our environments and we have a wealth of information downloaded into our very brains, he has no such knowledge. He is only a day old and yet he can understand that there are consistent variables to actions. The reactions weren't even the same! First he rolled down, then he fell forward, then he tipped upside-down on his head, yet he was able to make the connection that all of those sensations had something in common, they displaced him. He also made the connection that all three of these completely different experiences happened right after the snack stimulus. That he was able to much such a connection, granted an incorrect one, is amazing!” Mik said ending his speech standing on top of his chair and waving his arms with his excitement.

“But he's wrong,” Purple frowned failing to see why the medic was so excited. “Thinking that falling over is because of a snack is stupid.”

“Yes, for a fully aware being that completely understands your environment that would be a stupid conclusion,” Mik agreed. “But a PAKless smeet doesn't have any knowledge. His brain is like a blank computer waiting for data and input. He is going to learn and gain his knowledge through directly interacting with his environment. This is why the Control Brains said he had to stay on the Massive until he was grown,” Mik said almost bouncing with excitement. “As his parental units you will have to guide his experiences and help him understand his environment so he can create the correct associations and learn! Here, I'll show you,” Mik jumped off his chair and ran over to the bed.

Peeking over the edge of the bedside he pointed at the smeet. “Hold him up again, but don't give him any snack,” Mik instructed nearly giggling with glee.

Red and Purple exchanged unbelieving glances, but decided to humor the small medic. Purple propped his smeet back up and moved his hand away. There was a moment of balance before the smeet fell forward onto his face again.

“Quick, pick him back up!” Mik said pressing his face against the bed so he could see the smeet's expression better as Purple picked him back up and laid him back down. “See! See his face?” Mik pointed waving his arm around. “He is confused because the undesired effect happened without the stimulus. Do it again!”

“No,” Purple said picking the smeet back up to rest on top of the pillow.

“What? Why?” Mik said with clear disappointment.

Purple pointed to the second snack and Red opened the dip-n-lick and plunged the stick into the snack power before giving it to Purple. “Because,” Purple said placing the stick against the smeet's mouth. The smeet's tongue darted out cautiously. If it was something else like that last thing he didn't want it. However, when his tongue met with sugary goodness on what felt like the large one's finger he opened his mouth. He licked and sucked and gummed on the snack covered stick and was very pleased and chirped to show how happy he was. “I'm not going to keep doing things that upset him. He's not your science experiment,” Purple said pulling the stick away once all the sugar was off it.

Red held out the bag and Purple dipped the stick back in. The smeet's lips quivered, unhappy at the loss of the stick, but when it returned with more sugar on it he was immediately happy again. After a few more times, the smeet began opening his mouth on his own when all the sugar was gone from the stick, wanting the large one to put more on.

“Fascinating!” Mik breathed watching the smeet over the edge of the bed.

 Purple scowled down at the medic. He really badly wanted to move his legs and kick the medic away from his bed but his limbs wouldn't move that well or fast. Instead he ended up placing his foot on Mik's head and slowly pushed him back. “Go away, your face is annoying.”

“But my Tallest, I need to observe!”

“Then observe from over across the room,” Purple glared at him. “Don't you have other medic things you can be doing?”

Purple hissed at him, and Red glared.

Seeing a losing battle, Mik's antennae wilted and he slunk back over to his chair to watch from a distance.

Unphased by the mopey and pouting medic, Purple went back to feeding the smeet only to find that he had fallen asleep while sucking on the stick. Since the snack wasn't empty yet, Red set it down on a nearby surface and scooted his seat closer to the bed to watch the smeet sleep. Purple watched the smeet for a few moments as well.

“Seeing him in rest mode is making me want to rest as well,” Purple said.

“You're spine is still healing. Going into rest mode isn't a bad thing,” Red said. “But you should eat something first. You've been on sugar IVs while you were asleep, but now that you're awake you can have snacks. What do you want? I'll have it brought here.”

“Nachos.”

Red leaned around Purple to look at Mik. “You heard him, have some nachos brought here,” Red said in a voice that expected full compliance. He didn't want to hear anything about not eating in the med bay.

“I—,” Mik looked at Tallest Red and changed what he was going to say. “I can have them brought here right away, my Tallest,” Mik said turning to his computer to send Shlen a message.

* * *

 

 

Purple donned the rest of his Tallest armor and as the last piece clicked into place a sense of rightness came over him. He'd missed having the familiar armor on. Now that he was back to his normal shape the armor once more fit him perfectly, no tightness, no feeling too stuffy or smothered. The smeet was lucky it had Red's DNA, otherwise Purple was sure he wouldn't have put up with such an awful process, not even for his own DNA.

Thinking of Maroon, Purple made a 'gimmie' gesture towards Red. Red frowned, he enjoyed holding the tiny Irken as much as Purple did, but he handed the smeet over knowing that Purple had first dibs. Purple could hold Maroon in one hand, one finger acting as a seat, while the other wrapped around him like a belt. He held Maroon close to his chest armor, so his little head had something to rest against. Maroon liked being up high and kicked his legs and flailed his fists as he gurgled and chirped to show his happiness.

The chirping was a new sound, one none of them had heard from a smeet before. It was a light, high pitched noise that vibrated up from Maroon's throat and only came out when he was very happy. Mik had recorded the sound to analyze it further, but he suspected it was a way for the smeet to establish communication and connection with the adults of the species.

Mik ran a finger along his desk and mumbled to himself as the Tallest prepared to go back to their chambers.

"Oh, stop moping," Purple snapped at the pouting medic.

"But, My Tallest, I will be missing out on possible observations and data," Mik whined.

"No." Purple said firmly. "For the last time, you are not allowed into our chambers unless it is an emergency—that we call," Purple added when he saw the spark of hope in his eyes. No doubt the medic could make anything into an emergency if he tried hard enough. "Just be satisfied that I am willing to continue the once-a-day visit." That was the deal they settled on. The Control Brains wanted continuous documentation on the smeet's development and once a day Purple would bring him to the medic for the purpose of data gathering. Also Purple himself needed to come to make sure his body's sugar levels went back to their normal and stable levels. He was still a little low, but not nearly as low as went he had been smeeting.

So Purple and Maroon would be seeing the insufferable medic once a day, at least for now. As long as Purple showed up, the medic wouldn't come into their chambers. No Irken would. Despite that Purple felt this was entirely generous to agree to this stupid arrangement, the medic was still pouting about the smeet leaving the med bay.

"You know there is no changing our minds on this," Red said to Mik. He wanted the medic around as much as Purple did.

Seeing as how he had no understanding allies, Mik sadly nodded. "But maybe just one more scan today?" Mik asked hopefully. "I sent Shlen out to get donuts for you."

Despite the allure of the sugary treats, Purple shook his head. "Have them sent to our chambers. We're leaving," he said then turned and left. He didn't want to give into Mik by staying longer to argue about staying longer. Red was right behind him when the med bay doors opened.

The sight that greeted them had them both stunned and standing still in the open doorway. The med bay was at the top of a 'T' shaped hallway with options to go straight, left or right when you exited. However, they could currently go nowhere as the halls were packed with Irkens, mostly smallers with a few Tallers mixed in.

When the doors opened thousands of eyes turned to see, hoping that this time would be the time. When those eyes were surprised to finally have that long awaited moment upon them they didn't know what to do. Since entering the med bay, neither Tallest had made an appearance, only the med bay staff were allowed in or out. They were given updates via their readers, ensureing them that their Leaders were amazing and well, but they wanted to see with their own eyes. They were also hoping to get a glimpse of the rumored…

"There's the smeet!" one voice said close enough to see and the first too break out of their trance.

The little smeet, Maroon, sensing the apprehension of the Large One holding him, had remained silent and uncertain at the sight before him. He still didn't quite understand what he was seeing in the world around him, but he could sense the presence of many. He didn't know how to feel about it since the Large One holding him hadn't reacted.

The Irkens close to the med bay, the ones that had fought and struggled on a daily basis to get this close or remain this close to the med bay doors were finally rewarded for their struggles by being able to clearly see the newest addition to the Massive. There were shocked to find that the Tallest's smeet was so, so tiny. They had never seen something so small before. Even smeets back on Irk did not seem so small as this one did. However, the normal feelings upon seeing an Irken so small did not surface. Instead this new and overwhelming surge of emotion gripped them. A few of the smallers' PAKs couldn't handle the intense emotion and began smoking.

It was so, so tiny and so, so _Irken_ adorable. How could such a thing be so tiny, yet so irresistablly cute? What did they do with this emotion? No one told them how to handle such feelings! One Irken felt the emotions so intently he exploded. Others also felt this protective impulse even stronger than one they felt when grabbing the last donut and having to escape the cafeteria with it.

The Irkens further away, the ones that hadn't been able to fight to front, could feel the intense emotional vibrations from their comrads in the front and they could see the glorious forms of their Tallest, they could also tell that Tallest Purple was holding something, and that something had to be the smeet, the thing they had all been waiting to see. But they couldn't see it from in the back.

The Irkens in the back began to push forward, wanting, needing to be closer. This caused the crowd to surge forward moving close to the Tallest and threatening to overrun them.

When the massive horde of Irkens lunged closer, Purple snapped out his shock. He wouldn't be harmed even if all the smallers trampled over them, but they would crush his smeet. Acting on impulse and mostly out of indignant anger because the last thing he wanted was to deal with all these smallers when all he wanted was to go back to his chambers with Red; Purple lashed out with his boot and punted the cloest smaller. The small body when hurling through the air and rolled along the tops of several smallers before being absorbed by the crowd.

"What the _IRK_ is going on here?!" Purple bellowed, immediately stilling the crowd. They didn't want to see the smeet so badly that they would have the scariest Tallest's anger upon them.

The glaring silence after Purple's shout was broken by the squeals of delight coming from the flailing smeet in his arms. Despite the initial fright of hearing the Large One speak so loudly, seeing the one smaller-than-the-Large-One-but-bigger-than-himself go flying through the air with a shriek and land and roll on top of the heads of the others while making funny sounds was very funny. There was obviously nothing to be afraid of. He could tell that now, the Large One wasn't afraid.

Even those in the back of the crowd could hear the bubbly voice of the smeet as he laughed. None of them could explain why but collectively they all sighed with an " _Awe_ ," at the smeet's laughter.

Irritated, Purple scowled at the crowd. "Move! Get out of the way before I throw all of you out the air lock," he demanded and stepped forward not caring if he stepped on or kicked any of the smallers. Even though they were all packed in, the Irkens were able to shift and move closer making a path as Tallest Purple stormed his way through the crowd with Tallest Red right behind him. When they reached the end of the crowd, Purple spun back around to glare at them.

"And get back to work! No one told you to take a break!" Purple glowered until fear for their lives overruled the intense feelings they felt for the smeet and the crowd hastily broke up to scuttle back to their assigned posts.

Once in their chambers Purple didn't slow his stride and went right into his room and into his bathing room. Seeing the warm gel he let out a sigh of content. It felt like ages since he had last soaked in cleansing gel. He looked around the room and frowned down at the floor until Red came up besides him. "Oh," Purple brightened. "Here, hold Maroon," he said handing over their smeet.

Red grinned as the tiny Irken was passed to him. He cradled the little body in his hand up against his chest armor as he watched Purple undress. He entertained some pleasant thoughts as Purple stepped into the gel after removing all his clothes. Purple sunk down in the warm gel up to his face and let out a long happy sigh.

The tiny smeet was happy to be held and flailed around his fists until one collided with Red's armor. That hurt! His lower lip quivered and he wailed loudly. He didn't like this sensation at all.

Purple sat up and reached out for his smeet. "Stupid," Purple said fondly. "Don't punch Red when his armor is _on_ , wait until he's vulnerable or find another target area."

"He didn't mean to hit my armor," Red wanted to clarify. He didn't want Purple thinking that the smeet didn't want to be held by him. However, when Purple continued to make 'gimmie' gestures with his hand Red reluctantly passed back the smeet.

Red began stripping, wanting to join his mate. Purple brought the smeet to his chest so he could inspect the tiny hand that hit Red's armor. One thing they didn't know yet was the smeet's healing rate or how durable he was. Without a PAK it was hard to judge how rapidly Maroon would recover from injuries. With a gentle prod from his finger Purple was able to open the smeet's fist. Nothing looked bruised or broken and Maroon's crying stopped quite suddenly as his dangling feet came in contact with the gel. He kicked his feet, surprised by the new sensation tickling the bottom of his feet.

With a start Purple realized that the smeet really didn't know anything. He didn't even know what a gel bath was. "You're going to like this," Purple said and submerged the smeet's lower body into the gel. His little antennae stood straight up and his little arms shot into the air. A look of such uncertainty crossed the smeet's face that Purple laughed.

"What's so funny?" Red asked as he stepped into the gel and scooted over to sit next to Purple.

"Look, Maroon doesn't know what to think about the gel bath," Purple chuckled.

The smeet was sitting so still and looking down at the gel, his little antennae twitching in apprehension. "Not moving isn't going to make it go away," Red told the smeet with a smirk. That uncertain face looked so much like Purple's when he tried a new exotic snack flavor, did he like it or didn't he? Purple would nibble, poke at a new flavor with his tongue, barely testing it to try and get a read of the flavor before committing to putting it in his mouth. Red just popped in the new flavors, he couldn't tell if they were good or not until he _actually_ tasted them. Red couldn't help himself and he scooped up some of the gel and dribbled it onto the smeet's head. "See? It's good," Red said.

Maroon's mouth turned into a little 'o' as he rapidly blinked in surprise. His little arms waved around in the air. What was this? What _was_ this? Good? Bad? He looked up at the Large Ones. They didn't seem distressed. Big smiles appeared on their faces and the little smeet found himself mirroring them. Good, then. He let his arms fall to his sides, it was tiring to hold them up, and as they touched the stuff around him a new discovery was made; splashing. Oh my! This was a good thing indeed!

Purple shifted to hold the splashing smeet in one hand so he could wipe the gel from his face. Little squeals of delight overruled any irritation he felt from the flying gel.

"He's just like you," Red said as he watched the smeet happily splash.

Purple squinted one eye at him. "Excuse me? I never splash in the gel," Purple said, not really upset just very confused at how Red could say such an absurd thing.

"You never would have known you liked those bitter sweets if I hadn't shoved them in your mouth," Red said.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing," Red said deciding not to explain. It was more fun that way.

Purple gave him one last queer look before going back to watching his smeet discover the joys of bathing in gel.

After a vigorous bath the little smeet was hungry and began making 'I'm-hungry' sounds. To Red it just sounded like crying and he grew nervous that he was holding the smeet wrong while Purple put away his Tallest armor in his closet. However, Purple turned quirked one antennae then went over to the pile of snacks on a table in the corner of his room. He picked out some more of the poofy snacks and motioned for Red to follow as he climbed into the nest-bed. Settling down he opened the bag and waited for Red to sit next to him with the smeet.

The smeet immediately stopped crying when he sensed food, however it took some prompting from Purple before the smeet would open his mouth for the poof.

"Oh, Come on, it's fine. Don't be stupid, eat it," Purple said despite the words his tone soft and reassuring.

Tentatively the smeet opened his mouth, looking up at Purple with wide woeful eyes. His expression quickly changed when properly propped up against some pillows he didn't roll. Flailing his little arms and pumping his legs he happily gummed the poof until it dissolved in his mouth. Swallowing he opened his mouth expectantly.

"How did you know he was hungry?" Red asked as Purple popped another piece of a poof into the smeet's awaiting mouth.

"What do you mean, how?" Purple frowned at Red. "It was obvious, he was making 'I'm hungry' sounds."

"It just sounded like crying to me. How did you know that cry meant he was hungry?"

"Oh, well," Purple looked down at the smeet. He fed him another piece. "I just knew. I didn't know you couldn't tell."

"Maybe it's because you were the one that smeeted him," Red suggested as he shifted to sit closer to Purple.

"Maybe," Purple said giving his full attention to the smeet, though one antennae did reach out to brush against Red's. In the last half of the smeeting they often rubbed antennae like that, it sent out a comforting feeling to the both of them. The feeling was still there, but this time there was another familiar feeling that occurred as well. A slightly sweet scent filled the air and Purple felt his face flush at the sensation. He peeked a glance at Red who appeared just as surprised by the sensation as Purple.

Red recovered quickly and his grin turned devilish. He slid his antennae back along Purple's sending chills down both their spines. "I've missed this feeling."

It had been a while since Purple picked up on Red's sweet scent so he could feel his face flush, however his grin mirrored Red's. "I've missed your flavor too," Purple replied and leaned close wanting to taste Red.

A tiny grumpy sound made both Tallest pause and look down. The smeet's tiny hands opened and closed in little 'gimmie' motions as he reached out towards the poof Purple held absentmindedly above his head and just out of the smeet's reach.

Exchanging a slightly abashed look the two refocused onto the hungry smeet. Mating or doing any of the pre-mating rituals in front of their smeet didn't appeal to either Tallest. Purple gave the smeet another piece and frowned as a new problem presented itself.

"How are we going to mate with a smeet around?" Purple shared his concern with Red.

Red, thinking along the same lines that he didn't want to mate with the little smeet around, nodded his understanding. "He naps a lot, we can have time when he's sleeping."

"Sleeping where? On the bed with us? What if he wakes up too soon? And I don't want to leave him alone on the couch."

"He could sleep on my bed," Red thought out loud.

"He could still roll off the edge. And I don't want him too far away. What if we can't hear him when he needs something?" Purple worried.

Red thought a moment. "In the med bay, Mik had him on a medical table with a barrier around the edges. I think I can come up with a similar, better, design we can use for him. We can also set up a monitoring system in my room that will tell us of any movement or sounds in there. I haven't been using my room at all recently any way."

"That could work," Purple mused, glancing at Red. "We should start setting that up right away."

Red pulled a reader out of his PAK and began sketching an idea to send to the tech crew. The sooner they set up a safe place for their smeet could sleep, the sooner they could enjoy that time for themselves.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the poor masses. Irkens have no resilience against the power of tiny adorable things, not to mention the new feeling of wanting to protect and fawn over said tiny adorable Irken. 
> 
> The Tallest are not spared from the power of Maroon's cuteness. Purple's parental instincts are beginning to show. He is very proud of the little smeet he and Red created and he is very protective of him. He especially doesn't want to leave the smeet too long in the overtly excited medic's presence. Not that he thinks Mik would dare hurt his smeet, but the gleam in Mik's eyes when studying Maroon gives Purple unpleasant chills. 
> 
> Mik is just too excited about how interesting a PAK-less smeet behaves, as a medical scientist the opportunity to study Maroon's natural instincts and reactions makes him behave just a little too enthusiastically. XD


	28. Planet Jackers

The resting place for Maroon Red designed arrived much sooner than Red expected it to. In fact, for it to arrive in the time it did the tech crew would have had to stop all current projects and immediately start construction. Not that Red minded, after all it was a request from them and they were the Tallest and the most important Irkens on the Massive.

Red turned on the hover function and the egg-shaped pod rose off the ground to hip level. The clear visor encasing the pod opened to a soft plush inside. Red checked to make sure the air vents were working properly and that the monitoring sensors were on. Opening his PAK a wire slipped out and attached to the pod. He quickly downloaded the monitoring program that would allow his PAK to keep track of the sounds, motions and vitals of whatever was scanned inside.

"Let's try it out," Red said stepping aside so Purple could place Maroon inside. The smeet had plenty of room to flail around but the shape of the cushions inside kept him from rolling around too much. Immediately his PAK began processing the data from the pod, informing him that the smeet was awake, had stable vitals and was making soft chirping noises. Purple plugged his PAK into the pod to download the same program.

"It will run as a background program, so if anything changes it will send us an alert if we aren't paying attention to it," Red explained. "And look, it has the newest and most advanced hovering ability," he said placing his hand on the pod and gently maneuvering it around. Purple nodded his approval, it was hard to hold Maroon with their gauntlets on their hands. This would be much easier.

Red watched as Purple inspected the pod, then nodded one last time, "I like it," he said and Red breathed a sigh of relief. Purple was pretty opinionated about aesthetics. Maroon made a happy, but gurgled sound as he discovered he could chew on his own hand.

"Stop that," Purple chided and with one finger pulled his little fist out of his mouth.

The little smeet frowned in confusion at his fist being held out of reach from his mouth. Then those big, but still little, eyes trailed up the finger and the attached arm until they found Purple's face. Upon seeing that Purple was the one preventing him from chewing on his hand, his little cheeks puffed up indignantly. Red snickered as the smeet, keeping his eyes on Purple, defiantly popped his other fist into his mouth.

Purple's eyes widened in shock. No one. _No one_. Had ever defied him so openly. However, he couldn't take his anger out on his little smeet, so he turned to Red who was openly laughing at him. "What?" Purple snapped at him as he used his other finger to push the other fist out of Maroon's mouth, earning him a grumpy pout from the smeet.

"He's like a tiny you!" Red wheezed then completely lost it when Purple made the exact same face at him as the smeet was doing to Purple. The best part was the Purple wasn't even realizing he was doing it.

Scowling once more at Red, who had collapsed onto the couch in a fit of laughter, Purple regarded the grumpy smeet now on the verge of tears. Purple sighed and moved his hand away so the smeet could put his fist back into his mouth. "It's a good thing you don't have teeth or you'd hurt yourself. Stupid little smeet," Purple mumbled the last affectionately and poked at the bottom of the smeet's feet. The smeet kicked back in retaliation and Purple couldn't stop the grin from forming. "Spunky, little smeet," he said softly. "I know another Irken just like you."

Red finally got his laughter under control and joined Purple in watching their smeet. They were silent a moment, content with just observing the newest Irken on the Massive.

"It's amazing isn't it?" Red mused.

"What? That he can stick both hands into his mouth? Not really, his hands are pretty small," Purple quirked one antennae at Red's comment.

"No, not that," Red waved his fingers in the air as if to wave away Purple's answer. "The fact that he exists at all, that _we_ made him."

"We?" Purple repeated with an unimpressed sound. "My body's the one that did all the growing. I did all the work, you just supplied the material to make him."

"Oh yeah?" Red challenged. "Well you'd probably still be hiding in your closet if it hadn't been for all the planning and _work_ I did. If it wasn't for all my hard work we never would have become mates."

Purple pressed his lips together trying to come up with a counter argument, but was having difficulty doing so. Red saw this and grinned, leaning close to press their union marks together and touch antennae.

Purple's antennae remained still for a brief moment before giving in and rubbing back. "We're even then," Purple mumbled.

"We're equally matched," Red said as he hooked a finger into the top of Purple's Tallest robes. "In most areas."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Purple scowled at him, though he didn't pull away or stop Red from tugging at his robes.

"It means," Red said repressing a shiver as their antennae continued to slide together. "That I can make you lose control first."

"That's not how I remember it," Purple said his tongue darting out to lick along Red's lips. "I remember that you are the first one to lose control."

Feeling his organ stirring for the first time in what felt like forever, Red grinned. "Looks like this won't be settled with words alone."

"If you challenge me you're going to lose," Purple said, his scent spiking and filling the air.

"Oh, I don't think so," Red said leaned forward to taste more of his mate, a taste he had been craving, when a loud obnoxious alarm sounded through their room.

The sound startled the smeet into crying, not liking the loud harsh sound against his sensitive antennae. Not even his favorite Large One's voice speaking soothingly into his antennae while holding him made the noise less upsetting.

"Deal with it, Red!" Purple shouted over the alarm as he tried to sooth his upset smeet.

Red slammed his fist onto the control panel on the wall. The alarm blissfully stopped as the communicator screen dropped down. "This had better be important," Red snapped at the Irken on the screen.

"My Tallest, sirs," the navigator drone bowed his head and wiggled his antennae respectfully if quickly, adding to the image that there might be a good reason for the Massive's bridge to contact them through the emergency alert system. "The planet jackers' army has assembled in front of the armada. After firing a few shots to gain our attention, damaging two flag ships, they hailed us wishing an immediate audience with you."

Red scowled at the screen. It wasn't completely unusual for them to fire to gain their attention, but usually they fired shots at the Massive. With the latest upgrades in shielding technology, the shots were nothing more than a tap on the shoulder. That they had fired and actually done damage could be cause for concern.

"And what do they want?" Red asked.

"An immediate revision of the Planet Jacker and Irken treaty," the navigator said nervously.

"Fine," Red said. "We'll be there shortly," he said then ended the call and turned to Purple. "They must have some new advantage to become so bold as to attack us. We need to hear what they have to say. Going to war with them right now when the smeeteries are down and we're still in a state of race-wide emergency is risky. Especially with the Resisty gaining hold in some areas of the Universe."

Purple nodded. "We can't show them any weakness. If their demands are reasonable we can make it sound like our idea to update the treaty. Worst case we can bide some time to come up with a plan by requesting a formal revision meeting, which would give us a few days at least."

"Sounds good," Red nodded. "Let's go."

It only took a few minutes for them to arrive at the bridge. The two Tallest sat in their commanding chairs. Red waved a command for the navigator drones to establish the connection with the planet jackers. The Tallest were the picture of authority and tallness. The only difference this day was the small smeet on Tallest Purple's lap.

The smeet made happy sounds. Walking around had been great fun! There were lots of bright and colorful things to look at and being moved around was fun. Now in this new room with lots of blinking lights and shiny things to look at, it was also fun. The smeet could sense the presence of others, but they weren't crowding around like before and he was being held high above them, way out of reach, and in the comforting lap of a Large One. So this time when he saw the others looking at him he happily flailed at them. Some of them event flailed back! Though they weren't that good at it, and only moved their hands a little. To show them how it was done, he flailed with more intensity.

" _Ah_ , _we were waiting a long time, Irkens,"_ a new voice spoke. The little smeet knowing nothing about languages could not understand what the voice meant, but the tone was new and unfamiliar so it held his attention.

"We're the Almighty Tallest, you'll wait as long as we want you to," the Large One next to him said.

"You'd better have a good reason for calling for our attention. We're feeling generous today, so we'll listen to whatever pathetic thing it is that you want," the Large One holding him said. The little smeet could tell that the Large One was not happy. His voice was mad. He must not like the new voice. So that meant he wouldn't like the new voice either. Looking up, he saw the Large One scowl, so he made a mad face too. That would show the voice!

" _Ha ha, so arrogant. It is very Irken of you. Being that you are Irken it makes sense. However, we have information. Good information. You should not be so Irken right now. It would be bad if we were to attack, yes? However, we are also feeling generous and if you adjust the treaty we will leave."_

"And if this 'good' information you have is correct what kind of things would you want?" the other Large One said. He didn't sound happy either. So the little smeet scowled harder.

" _We want fifteen percent of your pre-marked planets. Finding new ones is hard. They are further away and take too long. We want more planets now. Much less work."_

"And what kind of information do you have that would make us agree to such absurd terms?" the Large One holding him said. He still sounded very angry. Maybe scowling wasn't enough?

_"_ _Ha ha, yes. Good information. We know that you are not advancing. Irkens always advance. We know you are low on a particular resource. We know that resource is more Irkens. Can't conquer with less army. You give us planets, you have less to watch over. Less places to put soldiers. We both win, eh?"_

"Where did you hear such stupid information? We have plenty of soldiers. We are currently creating a new batch of super superior smeets made from the best of Irken DNA. Look, the most superior of all those new smeets is here," the Large One holding him picked him up and the little smeet's attention was drawn to the bright screen in front of him. "He is made from pure Tallest DNA. If we were short on Irkens I wouldn't have a smeet right here."

" _That? That tiny little thing is your greatest new soldier? It looks pathetic. I could crush it between my fingers. HA! And look at it, it has stupidly large eyes. Such a pathetic looking thing."_

The entire bridge was dead silent except for the continued laugh of the planet jacker. The little smeet felt the unhappiness in the air. The Large One was holding him up to the voice. The voice that the Large Ones didn't like. The Large Ones were making mad faces so he did too, but maybe it wasn't enough? The Large Ones also made mad sounds. He would make mad sounds too!

Purple froze, fury vibrating through his PAK at such intensity it was rendering him immobile. What horrible punishment would be fitting to these pathetic creatures that DARED insult his smeet?

Red was also filled with fury, echoing the mood of every Irken on the bridge. They all glared at the screen. The Tallest's new smeet was amazing. How dare another inferior race insult him?

In the rage-filled silence, the little smeet stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at the screen.

The sound was the nudge Purple needed, the sound inspired him. Looking over he saw a navigator with his hand hovering over the same button Purple was about to order him to call up. The navigator looked over at Purple and Purple nodded.

The planet jacker was still laughing when inside his ship all kinds of alarms began to sound. " _What? What is this—No! No, you can't! We have a trea—"_ the rest of what he was going to say was cut off as a blinding light filled the screen before going blank.

On the navigation screen the planet jacker army's flag ship was gone along with every ship behind it, creating a large rift in their army. The navigation drone that pushed the button breathed a sigh of relief. That weapon was still in development and there had been a good chance that they could have blown themselves up. However, if they were to be attacked that last shot depleted most of their ship's firepower and they wouldn't be able to fire again for an hour. It was really a last option weapon, not a starting one.

It took Red and the rest of the Irkens in the bridge a moment to realize what had just happened. A cold unsettling feeling crept into Red's chest. If one of the smallers had acted on impulse, like he suspected, they were going to have to do a lot of damage control to fix this.

Red turned to Purple expecting him to be equally shocked, but with a horrible revelation Red saw that Purple had a smug look of satisfaction. "Hail, the planet jacker's next in command," Purple said easing back into his chair, as he held his smeet back in his lap.

" _Ah, T-Tallest,"_ the planet jacker on screen stuttered nervously. " _I—we—"_

Purple held up his hand to stop the planet jacker from speaking. "Now that the consequences have been dealt for that outlandish insult. I believe we were discussing treaty negotiations," Purple said calmly, though the smile on his face was anything but pleasant. The planet jacker on screen swallowed nervously. "Fifteen percent, correct? Yes, I think that will do nicely. You will give fifteen percent of your marked planets over to Irken control. If this is done in a timely manner, let's say seven days, then we won't feel the need to contact your people for a second re-negotiation. Are we in agreement?"

The planet jacker who just saw the head flagship of the planet jacker armada and almost every high official along with it, obliterated by a new and unknown super weapon stumbled over himself to give a reply. " _Y-yes! Good, we, yes, good deal. We will go now._ "

Purple nodded. "Oh, and Commander?" Purple addressed the recently promoted planet jacker. The new leader paused nervously. "It would do well for your people to remember that to insult my smeet is to insult me."

The planet jacker's eyes widened as _what_ had just happened sunk in. Of course they had all seen the exchange between their previous leader and the Tallest on their communicators. They'd seen the tiny Irken and laughed along with their leader at how small it was. Now, however, they realized how big the mistake was they had made. Their informant had been completely wrong. The armada hadn't stopped moving forward because it was low on soldiers. It had stopped because the Tallest had been _reproducing_.

This was new and terrifying information. Irken were clones, controlled by the PAKs on their backs. They followed orders and did exactly as the computers hooked up to their brains demanded. However, if the Irkens were dabbling in natural reproduction it meant that there were going to be a slew of unrestrained and _independent_ Irkens running around soon. Irkens were already known for being volatile and unstable, and that was _with_ the control of their PAKs telling them what to do.

Insulting the spawn of the Tallest was indeed the stupidest thing their previous commander could have done. Irkens, it seemed, were like many other territorial species and were very protective of their natural spawn. Feeling lucky to be alive the new planet jacker leader nodded and quickly cut communications. Within minutes their army was gone and he was quickly spreading the word among his informants of this new and terrifying development.

Once the screen went blank and the ships on the screen flew away the Irkens on the bridge breathed a sigh of relief, but they didn't loose their tension until the Tallest wordlessly left. The reason they had been called down had been dealt with and in all honesty every Irken was terrified to say anything, not sure if Tallest Purple's rage had subsided. Usually Tallest Red spoke with and had the most interactions with foreign species and did all the negotiations, Tallest Purple would back him up but he wouldn't be the main negotiator. It wasn't something other species could have realized, but to the other Irkens in the room such subtle shifts in leadership were clear to them. They all knew Tallest Purple did a lot of behind the scene work and, as most of their assumptions were confirmed, there was a good reason for it.

Every Irken knew to _never_ anger Tallest Purple. To gain Tallest Purple ire was to gain a death sentence. Tallest Red could be reasoned with or bribed under the right circumstances to lessen his anger. Tallest Purple was stubborn and ruthless. The only Irken that could ever reason with or change Tallest Purple's mind was Tallest Red. While it was awe inspiring being around Tallest Purple when he was angry, it was also terrifying. Tallest Purple was also known for not being selective on who he took his anger out on, which is why it made sense that Tallest Red took the lead in foreign relations.

Today was a perfect example of why Tallest Purple usually stayed passive and distracted during such meetings. The Irkens on the bridge shared a collective moment of understanding among them. They were all glad to have survived that interaction, and next time they would make sure to have the bridge well stocked with donuts. The planet jackers had come so unexpectedly that they hadn't thought to make snacks. Next time they would make sure to have donuts brought up. While they all admired their ruthless leader, he was too terrifying to be around when he was like that. Their little squeedlyspooches wouldn't be able to handle the stress if Tallest Purple became more active in such talks.

* * *

Since the call to the bridge had been an emergency and they weren't on active duty yet, the Tallest went back to their chambers. All the excitement had worn out little Maroon and being carried around had lulled him into a light slumber. Seeing that his smeet was tired, Purple figured he would be more comfortable in the pod. The moment Purple set him down, Red stepped in rather quickly and activated the hover function then gently guided the pod into his room.

The hasty manner in which Red moved the smeet made Purple quirk an antenna, but he figured Red just wanted to test out the pod and its monitoring features. In the background functioning of his PAK Purple sensed the pod programming turn on. Since it picked up nothing but rhythmic breathing, Purple barely noticed the program.

Looking around, Purple saw his reader on the couch. He probably had some work to catch up on. As he leaned over to pick up the reader two unarmored hands slipped around his middle. He felt Red's breath on the back of his neck, but before he could say anything he caught Red's scent.

The sudden intensity of it was so powerful it overwhelmed his senses and staggered him. Reaching out he braced himself by grabbing the back of the couch. Red didn't skip a beat as one hand slipped under his robes to rub him through his under clothes. Red's other hand slipped under Purple's armor, seeking the emergency release mechanism. This led Purple to realize that Red had already taken his chest armor off and only wore the ringed abdomen protector and his robes.

While his hands worked, Red made use to his mouth to taste and nip at Purple's neck, his antennae feverishly rubbing against his own. Purple's body responded in kind so quickly that his legs trembled. He hadn't felt anything so intense in a long time. It was just like the beginning of his smeeting when his body was craving sugar.

It took a few tries, but Purple finally found his voice, "Red, what…?" Purple managed.

"Pur," Red purred his name, his voice raspy and thick with need. "You… you're amazing," Red breathed along his neck. With a snap Purple's chest armor unlatched and with one hand Red grabbed it and threw it to one side. Now that the bulky armor was out of the way, Red grabbed Purple's shoulder and turned him so he could properly taste his mate. Red moved the hand stroking Purple around to the back, his fingers just long enough that he could still stimulate his mate from behind. His free hand worked at the side latch of his ringed armor. Purple's gauntlets prevented him from get a good hold on Red's face, so he settled for sliding his fingers over Red's antennae, earning a low needy moan that he felt through their lip lock.

" _Yes_ ," Red hissed and nipped his mate's neck, biting a little harder than before knowing that Purple liked it. Purple's fingers twirled around Red's antennae encouragingly. "You…" Red spoke inbetween nips, needing Purple to know what he had done to him. "You're ruthless…" _lick, bite._ "…No mercy…" _nibble_ "…dominating…the perfect Irken…" Red pulled back to stare into want-filled eyes, "… _Mine…_ and I'm yours." Red brought their mouths together, their tongues intertwined and Red moaned at the way Purple wrapped around his own tongue and thrust into his mouth. Purple's hands grabbed at him, and Purple fought for control of their tasting with his tongue, however Red didn't fight back. He let Purple have control.

Purple made an irritated clicking noise with his tongue as he pulled back. With a moment of clarity he looked around then pinned Red with a heated gaze. "Nest. Now."

Red swallowed and his antennae vibrated in excitement. His mating organ squirmed and was already coming out. _Yes. Yes. Yesyesyesyesyes._ This was what he wanted, what he needed, Purple—his mate—completely dominating. Purple at his best, in control and unyielding, and _his_. This was _his_ Purple. Only he could make Purple like this. What happened on the bridge that was just a taste, a taste of what Purple could be like. And Red was so hungry, hungry for this Purple. He missed it. He needed it. He wanted Purple, but more importantly he wanted Purple to ruthlessly want him.

Red stripped as he hastily made his way into Purple's room—their room—and into their nest. Glancing back he saw Purple following suit, discarding items as he followed after Red. His eyes were dark and on the battlefield they would have driven terror into his enemies, but to Red it made his spooch squeeze and his organ squirm. He crawled into their nest and scooted into the middle so he could watch Purple climb in.

Purple stepped in and stood at the edge of their nest. He paused as he studied Red. Seeing Red so eager and submissive sent chills down his spine. He liked it. He wanted more. It was time for a little revenge. Silently Purple opened his PAK and let his four PAK legs out, pointing them threateningly towards Red.

Red's face flushed more with blue and his gaze grew darker with need.

"Red," Purple said sweetly, his voice countering his aggressive stance. "Do you still have those PAK extensions?"

"Y-Yeah," he said and opened his PAK to bring out his PAK legs with the extensions attached. He began to move closer but Purple put up a hand to stop him and he paused obediently, sending another thrill along Purple's spine.

"Take them off and give them to me," Purple ordered.

Red frowned, but obeyed, "I wasn't going to use them now," he said thinking that Purple wanted to get rid of them so Red couldn't fight back with them.

Purple took the extensions he wanted, the one most resembling a male organ and the one with the soft flexible bristles on the tip, the others he stored away in his PAK. He attached the non-bristled one to his PAK tendril and was surprised at how much he could control the movement, it was just like his own male organ. No wonder Red could make him lose his focus so easily with it. Well, now it was his turn. Red didn't have another opening to use it in, but Purple had an idea.

"Are you," Red swallowed hard as his scent grew thick. "Going to use it yourself?"

The suggestion startled Purple and the image popped unbiddenly into his head. He could give himself his own feel good feelings, right up to the point of release all while Red watched him. The image brought a deep blue flush to his face. Maybe another time.

"No, I'm going to use it on you," Purple said causing Red to frown in confusion. Purple used that moment to pounce on Red, pinning down his arms and legs with his PAK legs. Sitting on Red's abdomen Purple leaned over to taste his mate. Red eagerly twisted his tongue around Purple's as their antennae rubbed together. Purple's fingers trailed over Red's body teasing the skin.

After a while Purple pulled back, he was very aware of their male organs fully out in the air, both wanting to wrap around each other. However, Purple pulled back. If he did that now he wouldn't get his revenge on Red. Instead he brought the PAK extension down for Red's organ to twist around. Red put his head back on the bed and made pleased sounds as Purple expertly moved the extension to stimulate Red's organ by rubbing and twisting back. While Red was distracted by the good feelings Purple grinned as he brought out the other extension, the one with the bristled end.

"You're going to like this," Purple promised.

Red might not have another opening to use for mating, but Purple knew there was a little room around the base of the male organ, near the parted skin. He trailed the bristled end along the length of Red's organ and Red's head snapped up, surprised at the added touch. His face was flushed with blue and Purple could tell his body's sensations were making it difficult for him to focus.

" _Irk_ , Purple," Red swore as pleasure rippled through him.

Purple planed on making Red completely submissive, unable to do anything but submit to the feelings Purple was giving him. Purple ran the bristles along the base of Red's organ and Red moaned. Since the extensions were connected directly to his PAK, Purple didn't really need to look to know what he was doing so he scooted up to watch Red's face and to run his fingers along Red's twitching antennae.

Pleasure clouded Red's vision as he panted and twitched while the feelings combined in his body. Carefully Purple moved the bristles to the lower base of Red's organ where there was a little more room then he slipped them under the skin, stimulating the sensitive skin and the previously untouched base of Red's organ. Red's hips jerked at the invasive movement, but two more PAK tendrils came out of Purple's PAK to press down on Red's hips holding him in place.

" _Irk!_ " Red swore with a low pleasure filled moan. " _Hah_ …Pur, it's too…much."

"Oh?" Purple said feigning innocence. "I'll lessen the stimulation then," he said and pulled away the extension wrapped around Red's organ. Red hissed in disappointment at the lack of the needed touch, which just made him focus on how odd and stimulating the second extension was.

He was so close to his release that it was driving him mad. The extension at the base of his organ was keeping him stimulated but it was lacking that final push. He needed the tip touched. He wanted it squeezed, but not by the extension, by Purple. He wanted Purple. He wanted to mate.

"Pur, mate with me," Red said, looking up at his mate's glazed eyes. He knew Purple was enjoying this too, he could see his male organ wiggling around and he could taste Purple's scent in the air.

Purple trailed one finger along the length of Red's antennae. Red shivered, but it still wasn't enough.

"If you beg."

" _Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease,"_ Red said rapidly, having no qualms about pleading in front of his beautiful and perfect and dominating mate. His reward was the all-too-pleased grin on Purple's face as he removed the extension.

There was a moment where nothing was touching him and Red wasn't sure if this was worse, until he felt Purple shift and straddle him. Slowly, Purple lowered himself down and they both let out moans. Relishing in the long-a-waited feeling of mating, Red's organ wiggled against Purple's insides and twisted further in until he felt the very end of Purple's insides begin to move and loosen.

Red's arms were still pinned down, and though pleasure was overriding most of his rational thoughts he still remembered that Purple had another organ that should be stimulated as well. Red lifted his head and almost released. Purple was using the extension to rub his own male organ as he shifted and grinded against Red, gaining the pleasure he needed for his internal organ. He wouldn't even let Red move his arms, not even to stimulate his male organ.

For a brief moment Red was disappointed, until he looked up into his mate's eyes and saw the evil glint to them. Purple knew exactly what he was doing. Complete domination. What Red could never achieve with Purple, at those last moments Purple always gained back some control. Red wasn't surprised to find that he was fine with this, that it made the feelings more intense. He was Purple's. Completely.

Seeing that Red wasn't fighting back, Purple rewarded him by stroking his antennae and making Red grind his hips up harder. Purple was so close to release, he had the extension twist around the tip of his organ a little harder making his male organ release first. As that pleasure washed over him, he felt Red's organ move in that list bit farther and it triggered his internal organ into a final release. The sensations overpowered his senses so all he could feel were the feel-good pleasure feelings. He was dimly aware of Red releasing as well and when the sensations subsided Purple withdrew his PAK legs and collapsed down on top of Red.

Lazily, Red draped his arms over Purple's back. Happy to hold his mate close to him.

"What triggered all this again?" Purple asked with a muffled voice after a few moments of nothing but their breathing filling the air. The scent of their mating still lingered but was quickly fading.

Before he answered Red shivered and shifted uncomfortably as their organs retreated back into their bodies. "It's your fault," Red said and shifted so Purple could slide next to him. "Warn me next time you plan on blowing up half an army. I want to make sure we have time to deal with the, _ah_ , after effects." Red chuckled. "When you get that evil look on your face, it makes me want you uncontrollably."

"Really?" Purple propped himself up to look down at Red, a small pleased smile on his lips.

"Mmh hmm," Red nodded, looking up at his mate feeling content and highly satisfied.

"Oh," Purple commented and looked away thoughtfully, a light blue flush on his cheeks.

In the back of their minds a PAK alert went off informing them of movement and consciousness coming from the pod. Their smeet was awake. Purple looked down at himself as he sat up. "I'm going to use some cleansing chalk, then take Maroon into the common space and feed him again. I think he's going to be hungry."

"Do you mind if I use your gel bath and join you after?" Red asked still feeling too lazy to move.

Purple nodded. "That's fine," he said and crawled out from the nest. Red heard him rummage around in a drawer for a cleansing chalk. A few minutes later he was clean and had just put on his black under clothes as their PAKs alerted them that their smeet was started to fuss. Seeing that Red hadn't moved from his spot in their nest, Purple poked his head in.

"Hey, Red," Purple called not sure if Red had gone into a sleep cycle or not. To answer his question Red lifted his head to look at him. Seeing his mate naked and still basking in the contentment from their mating made Purple want to tease him just a little.

"You know the planets that we're going to get from the planet jackers?"

"Yeah?" Red said his gaze darkening slightly just thinking about it.

"I know what I want to do with them," Purple began and when he had Red's inquisitive attention he grinned evilly. "Let's blow them up." Red's face flushed blue as Purple picked up on his spiked scent. Purple's grin widened. "I'm going to the smeet now."

Red groaned as he felt his organ stir again. "Pur, you can't do this," he whined.

"I thought you liked it when I'm evil," Purple mock pouted, jutting out his lip.

"Not to me!" Red said and it didn't help anything that Purple's response was to grin before slipping out of the room. Red heard him laugh as he left. With a sigh Red flopped back down. _Cheeky._ Red grinned to himself and did his best to ignore the slight wiggling he felt internally. Eventually it would calm down and he could go take a bath. Eventually.

 


	29. Public Opinion

Red hovered into the med bay. Mik had requested his presence (very politely and very discreetly). On any other day Red might have been more curious or concerned about the request, but today was the day that the planet jackers handed over their planets. True to his word, after the transfer Purple immediately ordered the planets to be destroyed. The look on the planet jackers' face was priceless. And the look on Purple's face made the bridge seem too warm and his armor a bit too suffocating, especially when Purple gave him that knowing and sly look. Red couldn't remember what he said to dismiss the planet jackers. He didn't remember much of the walk back to their rooms either.

Thankfully they had discovered that if they walked instead of using the hover belts it more often than not caused their smeet to fall asleep. Red sort of remembered Purple placing their smeet in his sleeping pod, his PAK programing confirmed the smeet's presence in the pod. But what he remembered the most was Purple; the look in his eyes, the smirk on his face, the feel of his skin and his scent that saturated the air.

Red was still riding the blissful feeling after such an intense mating. It wasn't often that Purple became so dominating in their matings. Usually there was an equal amount of control between the two of them, giving and receiving pleasurable feelings to each other, well until the last moments when Purple tended to take control. However there had been a few instances where Purple took control like today and his scent…his touch…his _tongue…_

"My Tallest?"

Red's vision was suddenly filled by the medic. "Stop that," Red scowled and pushed Mik's head down back to the level it should be at.

"My apologies, my Tallest," Mik said as his PAK legs retreated back into his PAK. "But I called your name several times and you didn't respond. Are you well?"

"I'm fine," Red snapped and crossed his arms defensively, hoping the flush on his face wasn't too prominent.

Mik peered up at him, studying him and Red resisted the urge to look away. Instead he glared the medic down. "Ah. I see," Mik said his antennae perking up as he nodded to himself in a reassuring manner.

"What do you see?" Red asked still defensive.

"Oh well, I was concerned that you might have some form of sugar deprivation since a lack of concentration and a limited awareness of one's surroundings are sure signs," Mik said casually as he walked back over to his desk to look for his reader. Shlen had been using it to log in the smeet's data and run it through several programs to look for patterns and analyze the findings.

"However," Mik continued as he shuffled through the various readers on his desk looking for the correct one, "Other signs such as flushed facial skin--identifiable by the slight tint of blue--a faint sweet smell from your scent and glazed unfocused eyes all accompanied by a wide smile are indications that your state is a side-effect of a successful mating. Temporary and non-threatening, instead of a cause for concern, it can be a positive sign that a pair of Irkens are well-matched and compatible and are either already a bonded pair or have potential to become one. _Ah_!" Mik said finding his reader and holding it up triumphantly. He turned to Tallest Red and frowned as the flush seemed to have become worse.

"My Tallest, I understand your attachment to Tallest Purple is necessary and important as a bonded pair," Mik said trying to be understanding, but this was important. "But I need you to focus. An issue has been brought to the Control Brains' attention and they have tasked me with finding a solution. I thought it best to consult you on this before approaching Tallest Purple."

Stunned and fighting off an intense bout of embarrassment, Red did his best to pretend that he wasn't completely mortified by Mik's comment. "Yes? What is it?"

"Um, well," Mik adjusted his blue goggles as he looked down at his reader. Red frowned, when did the medic get those? He hadn't noticed the medic wearing them before, his mind previously occupied by Purple. He would have asked if he cared more. "Firstly, the Control Brains said that you have yet to present the smeet before them."

"They wanted us to?" Red asked.

"Apparently," Mik said and continued to the main issue. "It has also been brought to their attention that Tallest Purple has been particularly… destructive lately."

"Yeah," Red said a bit distracted by all the memories of what happened _after_ those destructive bouts.

"My Tallest," Mik said rather loudly to regain Tallest Red's focus. "This is a serious matter. Some of those ships were our own!"

"Well, they shouldn't have said anything about our smeet's size," Red said. He thought Purple had been completely justified in permanently demoting the commander that dared to say he thought their smeet would be bigger.

"My Tallest," Mik said with a patient sigh. "The smeet Maroon is very tiny."

Red gasped. "That that back! I'll have you thrown out the airlock, Control Brain Representative or not!"

"My Tallest," Mik said some of his frustration leaking out. "This is what the Control Brains are concern about. It is understandable and expected that as parental units you are going to be protective of your smeet, but you cannot keep destroying ships that are stating the obvious. The smeet is small, but he is growing. In these past two weeks he has already grown one inch. His neck muscles have developed to the point where he can almost sit up on his own. He will be a strong tall Irken, but not every Irken has been supplied with the information about smeet development. Until the rest of the populace can be educated you can't keep blowing them up.

"The breeding project on Irk is progressing. Several hundred Irkens have successfully paired and are currently smeeting. But until those smeets, and your own, grow into adulthood the smeeteries will not have any new DNA. So destroying our own ships is not advisable."

Red scowled at Mik, but he could see the medic's logic and gave a resigned sigh. "Fine, but what would you have us do?"

"Perhaps it would be best if the smeet was not present on the bridge."

"Yeah, that's probably the best but then what about our shared duty hours? Purple and I are on Tallest duty together. Going to shifts all the time won't work. I was able to do it while Purple wasn't able to come to the bridge, but we work better when we're both there. And we aren't going to leave the smeet unattended. Even with the pod's monitoring program, we don't like leaving the smeet alone in a room for too long. If he wakes up or needs attention while we are on duty then what?" Red asked bringing up several good points.

Mik nodded as he thought. These were all good arguments. The smeet shouldn't be left alone, but neither should either Tallest be left alone on the bridge too long either. That wouldn't fix the destructiveness.

"My Tallest!" Mik exclaimed excitedly as a most wonderful idea occurred to him. "You can leave the smeet here when you are on duty!"

"Why would I do that?" Red stared down at him. "Purple barely tolerates the tests you run as it is. Why would he, or I, let you have the smeet for more?"

Indeed, that had been Mik's initial thought. It would be good to run some tests without the Tallests breathing down his antennae, but he also wouldn't dare to do anything without Tallest Purple's consent. However, there was more to research than running tests.

"I wouldn't conduct any experiment or test without your or Tallest Purple's permission. It would be purely observational, I would only interfere when required too," Mik said only getting more excited.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Red asked suspiciously.

"Feeding, changing, and providing stimulation. I have been researching the offspring development of other species and many provide non-destructive playthings for their offspring to interact with. There are also visual stimulus that is provided to encourage the infantile brain to develop and learning tools that will help teach the smeet simple concepts and information," Mik said his arms flailing around by the end to show his excitement.

"And you have these playthings and learning tools already?"

"No, not yet, but my team on Irk is working with me develop them. Once our designs are finalized I will send them to the technology and development department for them to create. Your smeet would be perfect for testing out these products and—" Mik cut himself off when he noticed Tallest Red's glare. "—No, no, My Tallest, it's not like you are thinking. It's just like having soldiers test out new weapons." Red's eyes narrowed further. "But there is no chance of these exploding," Mik hastily added.

"I'll talk to Purple about it," Red conceded. He would never admit it, but it wasn't a bad idea. If there was anyone qualified to watch over their smeet, it was Mik. He knew the medic would never harm their smeet, Purple just didn't like seeing Mik look at Maroon like a science experiment. "When do the Control Brains want us to show them Maroon?"

"I would go as soon as you are able," Mik said.

"Purple is feeding Maroon now, then he usually falls asleep for an hour. After that we have a little time before we need to be on the bridge again. We'll go after Maroon wakes up," Red decided. "I'll see if Purple agrees to you watching the smeet, if he does after our meeting with the Control Brains we'll bring him here."

"Yes! Thank you, My Tallest," Mik wiggled his antennae respectfully but Red had already turned to leave the med bay.

By the time Red returned to their quarters Maroon was sleep in his pod. He found Purple lounging on their couch, his armor in a pile on the floor. His antennae quirked, to signal he knew Red had entered the room, but his attention was drawn to his reader. Red would have thought that Purple was looking over their messages, if not for the self-satisfied grin on his face.

"What are you looking at?" Red asked after removing his own armor and leaning over the back of the couch to look down at Purple.

"This," Purple sat up and shifted so Red could look over his shoulder at the reader. Purple was on a community message board that members of the Massive could post on. Usually it was informal complaints like who ate who's nachos, ongoing bets among the smallers, and others bragging about their own accomplishments. The Massive was named such for a reason, if an Irken wanted to communicate with another and they didn't know their personal PAK code to send a message then this was the way to do it.

He and Purple never really bothered to pay attention to the site, anything of importance was always sent to them directly, but sometimes one Irken would catch another doing something stupid or hilarious and they'd post it on here. Laughing at another's expense was always fun. However, the message group Purple pointed to was entitled 'Smeet Sightings!'. The post was filled with pictures of them carrying Maroon in the halls, a few of them on the bridge or coming out of the med bay.

With the pictures were descriptions like: 'My spooch almost exploded, I turned the corner and saw the Tallest with the smeet!' and 'I swear the smeet looked at me!' and 'On the bridge he yawned!' and 'Look! The smeet thinks Tallest Purple is a snack! I just might die looking at this.' This was followed by a picture of Maroon trying to bite Purple's finger.

The pictures were nearly endless at all angles and some not even in focus. Most pictures were taken directly from PAK memories so if the Irken wasn't focused the image wouldn't be exact or framed properly. Some were from the camera function on readers or from a PAK's camera, which was used mostly for data transferring. Irken didn't usually share their PAK memories unless it was something particularly funny or interesting.

Some Irkens didn't post pictures but short descriptions of things they'd seen or heard about the smeet. These posts read like 'I heard the smeet giggle and now my face can't stop grinning,' and 'I saw the Tallest again in the bridge with the smeet, they look so amazing,' and 'the smeet looked at me! AHhhhhhhHHHh!' There was one Irken that also kept posting and bragging about how he was the first to make the smeet giggle by having Purple punt him across the hall.' Several Irkens posed about how they wished Purple would kick them too, and that they would trade snacks to hear about it."

Red grinned. "Our smeet is very popular."

"Of course he is," Purple said then turned to grin at Red, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I've logged onto the message board anonymously. Watch this," he said then got up and went over to the Pod. With the reader's camera Purple took a picture of Maroon as he slept. Sitting back on the couch he made a new thread and titled it 'Super Awesome and Super Rare Smeet Picture' then he posted the picture of Maroon sleeping.

Within seconds Purple's reader wouldn't stop dinging as Irkens commented on the picture. The first few were just random jumble of syllables or screaming. Red figured that was from Irkens who weren't typing but having their readers transcribe for them as they did other things. Several posts were about how they were dying or felt like their spooches had ruptured. Many were asking who it was that posted it and how they got the picture. There were a few posts expressing concern for the poster, saying that if they snuck into the Tallest quarters Tallest Purple was going to kill them. However, there were several posts asking 'My Tallest?!' correctly guessing that such a picture could only be taken by one of them.

Purple chuckled and pulled up another screen and began typing and humming to himself with satisfaction. Red came around and sat next to him and Purple shifted to use Red's lap as a pillow, his long legs draped over the arm of the couch. Red watched as Purple pulled the message board back up and messaged back.

**If you want more, send monies to this account.**

Purple pulled the other screen back up and grinned as monies came pouring in. "Look at this, Red, Maroon is indeed popular."

While Red was pleased that his smeet was so popular to the point that Irkens would pay monies for pictures, something about it didn't sit right with him. "I don't know, Pur," Red said. "I don't like this. I don't mind that they take pictures when we're out but selling pictures of our smeet makes me feel like we're selling our smeet. We have monies, I don't like making more this way."

"Red," Purple put down the reader giving him a patient look. "These monies aren't for us."

"Then who are they for?" Red blinked down at Purple.

"For Maroon," Purple said going back to watching the monies pour in. "I've been thinking about this since I found out smellers were trading snacks and monies for stories or better pictures. Why should the smallers benefit from our smeet? If they want to praise and worship our smeet, our smeet should gain something from it too. We're the Tallest, we get monies for being amazing and for our work as Tallest. Even as soldiers we got some monies to spend, but until Maroon matures and can enter the academy he will have no monies of his own. When he grows he's going to want to spend monies for his own stuffs. Doing this will give him plenty of monies and it will also stop greedy Irkens from getting too bold and chancing punishment by sneaking into our rooms."

"How so?" Red asked impressed that Purple had thought all this up.

"Eventually, the Pak and hallways pictures won't be enough, how could it be? Our smeet is amazing why wouldn't they want to look at him? If I carefully supply better more amazing pictures then they won't try to get them themselves."

"How will that stop others?" Red asked. "If you are making a lot of monies from rare pictures won't other Irkens try to do it too?"

"Undoubtedly," Purple said not seeming concerned. "Which is why I am doing this anonymously. It will lower their guards. Eventually someone will try and if we catch them we will make an example of them. So if I ever find pictures other than the ones I have taken, then I will hunt down that Irken and destroy them so fully that there won't even be a sliver of their Pak left. And I won't be sneaky about it," Purple said his voice holding a dark maliciousness that made Red wish Maroon took much longer naps. "It will only need to happen once and then they will all be more than willing to pay whatever price I put if they want more quality pictures."

"You are amazing," Red said and brushed his finger along Purple's antennae, not wanting to be the only one wishing for longer naps.

Purple shivered as his eyes closed at the touch. When he opened them the look he gave Red had his insides squirming around. "Of course I am," Purple said and without breaking eye contact he reached over to place his reader on the table. Reaching up he slid his fingers around Red's neck to grab his head and pull him closer. Purple leaned up and he pulled a more-than-willing Red closer until their mouths met and their tongues entwined.

Red was beginning to wonder if they could see how long Maroon would sleep for, when they heard a distinct noise coming from Purple's reader, it was echoed by an alert in their Paks that they had received a message.

Purple groaned and pulled back reaching for his reader. "What do they want now?" he asked knowing that the message was from the Control Brains. "A confirmation for a meeting with them today?" Purple frowned as he read.

"Oh yeah," Red said shaking the lingering sweet scent from antennae. "I was going to tell you that once Maroon wakes up we should go show him to the Control Brains, apparently they want to see him personally."

"And you didn't tell me this sooner because?"

"You are very distracting," Red said lowering his antennae and waving them in Purple's direction.

"Is there anything else I distracted you from telling me?" Purple asked, his voice teasing and a little smug.

"Actually, yes," Red said hoping the conversation would go well.

* * *

Purple held his happily flailing smeet and scowled as they approached the doors leading to the Control Brains. "I don't know why I agreed to this," he said again.

"Because it makes sense," Red answered next to him, knowing that Purple wasn't talking about the visit, but leaving their smeet with Mik.

"If he does anything—"

"—You know he won't," Red interrupted. "You're much too terrifying," he said briefly touching Purple's antennae with one finger. Purple jerked his antennae out of the way and glared at him with a slight blue flush to his cheeks. "And amazing."

"I know that," Purple said tartly as he opened the door and stepped into the Control Brain's chamber. The three massive brains were waiting for them, alert and humming.

 _"Welcome Tallest Purple, Tallest Red_ ," the center Control Brain boomed. " _Step forward so we can scan the smeet, Maroon_."

Purple obeyed and stepped onto the center platform in front of the railing. A tendril came from the ceiling and washed the smeet in a red light. Maroon blinked several times and rubbed his eyes as the light was very bright. Another tendril came down as the scanning one retreated. The end of this one was shaped like a blunted Irken hand. One digit poked his feet and the little smeet kicked back. It then lightly poked his head and Purple grinned as his fearless smeet grabbed the affronting finger and tried to bite it. Having no teeth the metal didn't feel good and it didn't taste good if the unhappy face Maroon made was any indication. He stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at the tendril.

"No," Purple lightly chided his smeet. "We can't blow up the Control Brains." To pacify him he tapped Maroon between his eyes. The little smeet grabbed the familiar finger and began chewing on it, gurgling happily. He liked this Large One so much!

" _Adorable_ ," the center Control Brain said making Purple and Red snap their heads up, not sure if they heard that right.

" _The smeet's growth is progressing well_ ," the left Control Brain said as all tendrils withdrew. " _Head Medic Mik is sending us copies of all his data. We also approve of the plan for Head Medic Mik to observe and supervise the smeet while you are on Tallest duty. While it is important to keep a firm rule, further culling of our ships and soldiers is not recommended_."

" _We must congratulate you both on your efforts_ ," The right Control Brain said. " _Your cooperation with Head Medic Mik has been beneficial to the Breeding Project on Irk. Several hundred Irkens are currently smeeting and we have received requests from many of them to join in a Union. As the first Tallest and Irkens to create a smeet and join in a Union, you will be setting an example for the Irken race. Proceed with this in mind._ "

 _"Once every thirty days we require that you present the smeet, Maroon, to us so we may see in person his progress_ ," the center Control Brain added. " _If you do this we will overlook the unnecessary loss of Irken soldiers_."

"We'll bring him as you asked," Red responded. He was a little disappointed that he wouldn't see evil Purple as much, but he agreed that when the smeet was present Purple didn't hesitate to retaliate. Instead of causing issues with the Control Brains it was easier to let Maroon stay with Mik during their Tallest duties.

 _"Good_ ," the center Control Brain said. " _Keep up the good work. We are greatly pleased with this smeet. You are dismissed,_ " the brain said then all three hummed once last time before going into inactive mode.

The three of them exited the Control Brain's room. "What would you like to do now? That was shorter than I thought, we have some time before our duty hours start," Red said. Purple cradled their smeet in one arm, his other hand being gently chewed on by Maroon. A small fond smile ghosted across Purple's face and Red felt like his chest was swelling with warmth.

"I want to see how Maroon likes nachos. I think the ones at the bottom that are soaked with cheese would be soft enough for him to eat," Purple said and looked down thoughtfully at Maroon. "I wonder when his teeth will start to grow? There are a lot of snacks I want him to try."

"Hm," Red said thoughtfully as he watched his smeet naw on Purple's finger. "When he does grow teeth that's going to hurt."

Purple frowned. "Maybe I should stop letting him, we already lost one of our fingers, I don't want to lose anymore," as he said this he removed his knuckle from Maroon's mouth.

His smeet looked up at him with wide, wet, woeful eyes. The corners of his lips turned down and began to tremble. Before he could start crying, Purple let the smeet chew on his bent finger once more. The smeet instantly regained his happy mood and he made soft gurgling noises.

"Chewing on stuff makes him happy, but I don't want him to chew on stuff that should hurt his teeth, or me." Purple said feeling conflicted.

Red poked his smeet's cheek and Maroon latched onto Purple's hand with his two tiny ones and glared at Red. Red bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "Maybe we design something that's safe for him to chew on even when he starts to get teeth."

"That should be easy enough to do," Purple agreed an idea already coming to his mind. He'd draw up something later and send it to the technology and engineering team.

"I'll order some nachos to be sent to our chambers," Red said as his Pak extended a reader for him to type into.

"No," Purple said stalling Red. "I'm in a good mood. Let's go to the cafeteria and let the smallers bask in our amazing presence. We haven't gone down there since all this stuff started. Besides I'm curious to see how the others react on the forums. We haven't taken Maroon out into the different areas of the Massive yet." Purple flashed him a cheeky grin, "It should be interesting."

Red grinned back, knowing that Purple loved all the attention his smeet was getting. Their smeet was amazing of course all the other Irkens would fall over themselves to be able to see him. "We should make a formal introduction, race wide. It would be selfish to not let Irkens off the Massive be able to see him."

Purple looked down at his smeet. Not too long ago that idea would have terrified him. Not only would making a race-wide announcement like that confirm that he was female recessive, it would also confirm that Red had mated with him. It was still a bit unnerving that the announcement would reach all those Irkens on Irk who would know _exactly_ how a smeet was made.

However, he wanted to send a very clear message to the other Irkens that had that part of their Paks activated: Red was _his._ If he ever came into contact with other Irkens that could mate, if they caught Red's sweet, sweet scent he wanted them to know that no matter what, even if they were Tall or gave Red snacks or monies or other tribute, that Red was his mate. Let the other inferior Tallers and smallers pair up with each other. Let them lament over the fact that their smeets would be inferior to his own. His smeet shared his and Red's DNA, Maroon was going to grow to be the perfect Irken. Those other Irkens could only hope that their own smeets would grow to be even half as amazing as Maroon was destined to be.

Yes, a formal announcement would be good. Purple could flaunt his mate and his smeet to his race. He had come from nothing, he broke all the rules, he made himself superior in every way. No matter how his life started out, look at where he was now. If anyone found out about his past or mocked his recessive-ness, he would destroy them. He was the best because he had the best, the best title, the best mate and the best smeet. How could anyone mock him now? They couldn't. If they did there had to be something wrong with them, only a defective Irken would argue with him.

Purple felt the corners of his lips twist up as dark thoughts filled him mind. Let them come. Let them try to dispute his claims. He didn't destroy a Pak, alter his own, rebel against the Control Brains and claim Red as his own just so some smaller inferior Irken could question him. Let any that disapproved of him come forward. He would show them that no one could stand in his way.

"You sure you don't want to go back to our chambers instead?" Red asked, an odd tone to his voice causing Purple break away from his thoughts to study his mate. Red's antennae were up and tilted towards him, twitching slightly. The skin around Red's cheeks was slightly blue and his eyes were slightly glazed over. A moment later Purple picked up on the scent coming off of Red.

His own antennae twitched, wanting to rub against Red's and soak in more of that delicious scent. The look on Red's face was very tempting, he knew that look very well now. He didn't see it all the time, but when he did it promised a mating with Red where his mate would let him have total and complete control.

Tempting. Very tempting. Very delicious.

Purple resisted the urge to taste the air with his tongue. He wondered how that scent would taste paired with nachos. He wondered how much he _could_ take control. How long would Red make that face? How long would his mate remain submissive? How long could Purple savor this feeling Red gave him before he indulged in it? Would Red eventually snap and become dominating and drag Purple back to their chambers to mate, only to give in at the last moment and let Purple have control again? Or would the promise of a later mating be enough to keep Red submissive until they mated?

Purple couldn't help himself and his tongue darted out to taste the air, so sweet. So, so tempting. Only Red could make him feel this way, respond this way. Until Red's scent went back to normal Purple's mind would be filled only with thoughts of his mate. In this, even when Red was submissive, he still had a hold over Purple.

"So?" Red prompted catching Purple's gaze and holding it.

"I said I wanted to bring Maroon to the cafeteria," Purple said feeling drawn into his mate's heated gaze. They could always go later.

"That's what you said, did you change your mind?" Red asked with a small smirk.

Purple realized it then. Red knew. Red knew exactly how he was affecting him. When Red was completely submissive, when he allowed Purple to have total control Purple loved it and often he couldn't resist the offer.

This was a challenge then. Purple smirked back. "No, I won't change my mind."

"We'll see," Red openly grinned, acknowledging that Purple had accepted this contest. "After you," he gestured for Purple to continue.

Purple flashed Red a grin before going forward, however after a few moments he didn't feel Red next to him and looked back slightly confused as to why Red hadn't followed. He was surprised to see Red just behind him and he paused so Red could catch up, but Red also paused staying a step or two behind him. Purple frowned in confusion until Red grinned knowingly at him.

"I said 'after you' and I meant it," Red said.

It took a moment for Purple to fully understand, but when he did his spooch went into overdrive. He couldn't believe Red, it had to be a ploy, a bluff. Red was just trying to get him to submit to his submission. However, even knowing this it couldn't stop Purple's face from flushing or his antennae from pointing themselves in Red's direction. Red's grin widened and Purple pulled himself out of his daze. Straightening himself he turned back around.

"Fine, then. Let's see how long you can bare to keep this up," Purple said and continued onwards to the food court. He thought for sure that Red wouldn't be able to hold out. Red was a Tallest, they both were, and neither one of them had shown respect to the other in all the years that they had been the Tallest. They were just in the hall, there weren't that many Irkens around. There was no way Red could continue being submissive to him when they got to the food court.

* * *

 

Purple sat at the table in a slight daze. He held Maroon on top of the table but he wasn't really paying attention to him. Maroon, for the most part could hold himself up but he still had trouble with balance so Purple had one hand wrapped around his smeet, making sure he couldn't roll backwards or off the table. Recently, Maroon had made the discovery that he had toes. To the little smeet the only logical thing to do with such appendages was to put them in his mouth. However, the squirmy things never stayed still and grabbing and holding onto them was proving difficult.

If Purple had been paying attention he probably would have tried to keep his smeet's feet away from his mouth, but his attention was on his tall counterpart standing at the food counter and ordering snacks.

When they walked in, Purple still in front, Red picked a table and told Purple to sit and that he would go get them food. Purple gapped at Red and watched with wide eyes as Red did just that. Unable to do much else, the situation so shocking, Purple sat at the table and watched Red. He wasn't the only one to notice Red being submissive to him. In the corner of his vision he saw a few Irkens point and whisper in their direction. Purple was nervous that they would completely reject the idea or start looking down on him, afterall Red was the most amazing Irken ever, how could Purple treat him like a smaller?

His antennae went on high alert and he was able to pick up on a conversation that two smallers were having after noticing Red's odd behavior.

"Did you see that? Tallest Red is treating Tallest Purple like he is the Taller."

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, maybe he did something to make Tallest Purple angry and is trying to make up for it?"

The other Irken gave a short laugh. "Are you kidding? If Tallest Purple was angry he wouldn't be calmly sitting with the Tallest Smeet Maroon. Half of us would be out of the airlock by now."

"Are you two stupid?" a third Irken joined in the conversation. "Tallest Red is obviously showing respect to Tallest Purple because he smeeted the amazing Tallest Smeet Maroon."

"But I heard that Tallest Red helped create the smeet."

"Yes, but Tallest Purple's body is the one that created the smeet. Clearly if he was chosen to make a smeet in his body, he would be treated as superior. And just think about it," the Irken continued. "Every time you look at Tallest Smeet Maroon don't you just feel like you want to worship him, and feed him snacks, and put your claws on the sides of his sweet face and just hold him until your Pak explodes!?" the Irken said their voice taking on an odd desperate tone.

"Hey, hey, calm down, breathe!" one of the others advised. "You'll overload your Pak."

"Yeah, think of something else like death and destruction. Just this last cycle there were three-"

A high-pitched whirring sound distracted them all. Purple looked to the sound and saw a smaller standing not too far away. His bulging eyes were fixed on Maroon and he was making high-pitched squeals in sync with his PAK. "He's just sooooooo," the smaller squeaked out, his hands curled into fists and trembling as he squished them against his face. A moment later smoke appeared from behind him, coming from his Pak.

"Hey! Calm down!" Another Irken shouted from across the way, but it was too late.

With a weird popping sound, the squealing Irken's eyes went blank and he fell face first onto the ground, his PAK sending out sparks.

"Ah, there goes another one," an nearby Irken commented.

"I'll call the medic drone," one said with a sigh.

Not long after a small medic drone appeared with a hovering platform and used his Pak extension to pickup the unconscious Irken and carry him away.

"So, yeah," the three Irkens near Purple continued their conversation. "Four, there have been four Pak overloads just this cycle. Until the new upgrade to our emotional filters comes out, you have to be careful when looking at Tallest Smeet Maroon. You got the memo right? Excessive attention on the Tallest Smeet can cause Paks to overload. You gotta look and think about him in moderation."

"Yes, I know," the Irken replied in slight irritation. "But it's not an easy thing to do."

There were some sympathetic noises from the other Irkens.

"The Tallest truly are almighty if they can remain unaffected by the Tallest Smeet," one commented.

"Ah, that's what I was getting to," the third Irken continued. "Obviously their Paks are perfect and would never explode, but that doesn't mean the Tallest are not affected by the Tallest Smeet. You know what happened on the Bridge. Around the Tallest Smeet Maroon, Tallest Purple is even more awesome, terrifying and merciless."

"That makes sense, but what about Tallest Red? Why would he treat Tallest Purple as the taller one?"

"How can he not treat Tallest Purple as the taller? His body created a smeet that can make Irkens explode by merely _think_ of him, and now Tallest Purple is known across the galaxy as the most ruthless Irken to have ever lived. Tallest Red is obviously doing this to appease Tallest Purple and thank him for creating such an amazing smeet. If not for Tallest Red keeping Tallest Purple happy surely we would all be dead. Nothing we have is worthy enough to give to Tallest Purple as an offering, so Tallest Red is representing the entire Irken race by showing respect to him."

The other Irkens made agreeing noises and their voices drifted off as they continued their conversation, the line moving once again as Red left the counters. In his hands he carried two trays full of foods and snacks.

Red's face twitched as he tried not to laugh. Purple's face was flushed blue, his eyes were wide and he had the most comical shocked expression on his face. As he neared the table, Purple shook himself out of his daze. Looking away from Red he scowled at the table, the blue on his face only becoming more pronounced.

Red placed the trays down and leaned a little closer and whispered so only Purple would hear him. "Should I feed you too, my Tallest?"

Purple closed his eyes and visibly shuddered as Red's scent spiked the air. He glanced at Red with glazed eyes and hissed in irritation. "Don't bother sitting, just bring the snacks with us," Purple mumbled as he stood.

"Where shall I bring them?" Red asked angling his antennae into a submissive pose.

Purple shivered again. " _Ah_ , room, just bring them to our rooms," he glared at Red once more but even his stubborn nature and his unwillingness to lose couldn't overcome what he was feeling. "I won't ask you what you want," Purple told him, referring to their key phrase they used to use back in the Academy when one lost in a challenge. Funny how Red winning a challenge between them was what sparked them into becoming mates. Back then he hadn't expected that Red would ask to touch antennae, but now that Red had won again Purple knew what to expect. "I already know what you want."

Red grinned at him, knowing that he had won their little challenge. "Shall I follow you back?" Red asked.

" _Irk it, Red!_ " Purple hissed in a low voice, one hand going to the table for support. He had no control over his body and he had to resist squirming and moaning as his organ wanted to come out, but found it difficult when he was still wearing his under clothing. At Purple's reprimand Red stood tall and put his antennae back into a neutral pose. Purple narrowed his eyes, but Red behaved and didn't say anything more. "I'm going to drop Maroon off in the med bay, I'll meet you back at our chambers."

Red nodded and Purple turned to leave, "As you wish, my Tallest," Red said just loud enough for Purple to hear.

Purple's knees buckled a little as a shiver of pleasure ran up and down his spine. Once it passed he whipped his head around to glare at Red. "Don't make me drop our smeet," Purple hissed.

"You wouldn't," Red assured him, seeing how both of Purple's hands were protectively curled around the little smeet. Purple's glare intensified making Red smirk. The angrier Purple became, the larger effect Red knew he was having. "Take as long as you need, I'll wait for you," Red said and picked up the two trays.

"I'm going to murder you," Purple hissed.

"It would be an honor to die at your hands," Red responded.

"Ugh! Just go!" Purple snapped not trusting himself to be able to walk away just yet.

Red titled his antennae back once more, though his smug grin didn't match the submissive gesture. Purple watched him for a moment then Red paused and turned back towards him. Sensing that Red was going to do something outrageous, Purple quickly spun around and booked it out of the food court. He was close to losing it, his body reacting to Red's every gesture and he was afraid that if things went much farther he would just grab Red and taste him right there in front of every Irken present. Of course, he would then have to kill them all afterwards because Red was his anyone who tasted Red's scent or saw how Red was when they mated needed to perish because that Red only belonged to Purple. And if he killed them all he would get reprimanded by the Control Brains again which would be a pain. They might put a lock on his Pak again as punishment. He needed his Pak. He needed it to do hold down Red so he could taste and touch his deliciously addicting mate.

With this thought in mind, Purple stormed into the med bay startling Mik and his assistant Shlen. They instantly became alarmed as Purple only came here when it was necessary. However, before Mik could say anything Purple thrust the smeet into his hands.

"You're watching him for the next few hours. If I find out that you have done something _weird_ , I will personally launch you from the air lock," his tone was so frightening that Mik could only nod as Shlen had immediately ducked under the desk to hide. "Good," he said then promptly turned around, however at the doorway he turned back to glare at Mik. "Do not disturb us under any circumstances," he warned then left.

All three Irkens left in the med bay watched Tallest Purple leave in stunned silence.

"What do you think happened?" Shlen asked finally crawling out from under the desk.

Mik was also trying to figure that out. He knew that Tallest Red was going to talk to Tallest Purple about leaving the smeet with him while they were on duty, but currently they were not scheduled to go to the bridge just yet. He hadn't received any messages either, so he knew there wasn't any emergency on the Massive. If there had been he would have been asked to prep the med bay just in case. Especially since Tallest Purple tended to be more destructive as of late.

Then there was Tallest Purple telling him not to disturb them. He never said things like that about their duties as Tallest only when…

"Oh!" Mik said in understanding. "I see, yes, that is the only logical conclusion," Mik mumbled to himself as he looked down at the smeet.

"What is?" Shlen asked.

"The Tallest are re-affirming their bond as mates in a Union. Tallest Purple has put us in charge of caring for the smeet as they will be unable to complete the bonding ritual with the smeet present. Tallest Purple doesn't like to be apart from his smeet, but it is necessary this time because they will only mate when the smeet is sleeping and today the smeet napped earlier and will not sleep again until the end of this cycle," Mik explained then paused for a moment as he thought. "We should contact Irk about setting up facilities where drones can care for the smeets so bonded-pairs can reaffirm their bonds even after the smeets are hatched. If we start now, such centers can be in place before the smeets arrive."

"I'll message them right away," Sheln said sitting back in his chair at his work station.

"Yes, see that they—" Mik's sentence was cut off by the loud and unhappy wail coming from the smeet. Mik immediately became distressed as he had never heard such a sound coming from the smeet before.

The smeet was not happy! The Large One left and he didn't come back! He was not happy at all. He'd never been apart from them before. When he slept they would always be there when he woke up. How could they go and leave him behind? He wanted them near. They were gone and he was very upset! He wanted them to come back, right now. He didn't want to be alone. This made him very sad. Didn't they want him around anymore? Didn't they know that he missed them? Didn't they know that they were his favorites? Why were they gone? Why?

Mik panicked as the Tallest's smeet continued to cry. Thinking that something was wrong he set him down in one of the medical pods, specially designed to scan the small smeet, however the scans showed no signs of ill healthy or injury. He checked the diaper, but it did not need to be changed. Grabbing a snack he tried to feed the smeet, but the wailing smeet just knocked it away.

This greatly worried Mik, he knew the smeet liked this snack, there was no reason for him to refuse. Feeling hopeless he and Shlen continued to run through every scan they could think of but nothing seemed to placate the distressed smeet and they had no idea what had caused him to become so upset. It was enough to make Mik want to cry too.

There was a whimper next to him and Mik turned to his assistant.

Shlen's lower lip trembled, "We broke the smeet!" he wailed and began crying exhausted, frustrated, and completely at a loss of what to do.

Mik became panicked, how was he supposed to calm the two down? What should he do? Who could he consult about this? There was no one! He was supposed to be the expert!

Wait!

Hastily, Mik pulled out his personal communication device in his Pak. The screen's waiting symbol appeared several moments before it finally connected.

"Dib-human!" Mik cried out when the human's face filled the screen. "Help!"

"Hi—what? What's going on?" The human pulled the device away from his face as the level of noise coming from the room was too much to be near his ear.

"For what reasons do Smeets of your species make such noise?" Mik asked helplessly. "My scans show no signs of illness and he is not injured. He is clean and he is refusing snacks. What do I do?"

"What makes you think I'd know anything about Irken smeets?" Dib asked a bit perplexed. He hadn't received a call from the medic in along time. Mik made a high-pitched kneening and desperate sound. "Okay! Okay! Let me think. Was he startled? Did something scare him? Like a loud noise?"

"No, nothing but his own screaming. It started not long after he was left in my care. Could it be something in the lab? Something that I missed?" Mik looked around helplessly, ignoring the fact that his assistant had curled into the fetal position and was sobbing about being thrown out of the air lock.

"Left in your care?" Dib repeated. "What happened to the Tallests?"

"They are spending time reaffirming their bond, they cannot do so with the smeet present."

"They made you a babysitter so they could go have sex?" Dib asked and in the background there was a faint protesting wail, which Dib seemed to completely ignore. "That's—" Dib paused in his judgement. "No, wait, nevermind. That's totally normal."

"Babysitter?" Mik repeated the unfamiliar word. "I don't see how sitting on him would help. Would it help?" he asked willing to try anything at this point.

"No!" Dib protested loudly. "No, it's just a word for the person temporarily taking care of someone else's baby. The baby started crying when his parents left, right? That's normal, he just misses them and is crying because they left."

Mik blinked at the screen then turned to look at the smeet. "I should return him right away!"

"Wait!" Dib called out and continued once he had Mik's attention. "It's fine, you don't need to get them. Parents need to have breaks too, especially if they are a new couple. You just need to hold him and comfort him. Show him he isn't alone. Or you can try to distract him with toys or a plushie or a pacifier or something," At Mik's blank expression Dib raised an eyebrow. "You didn't give him any toys to entertain him? No soft blankets he can snuggle? No huggable plushies to comfort him? No pacifier he can suck? Babies like those a lot."

"Oh, yes we are in the middle of trying to develop playthings that stimulate the smeet's brain and promote growth," Mik said in understanding.

"Dib-thing, how do you know so much about worm-babies?" Zim asked suddenly appearing next to Dib. An idea must have occurred to the exiled Irken because he gasped and pointed dramatically at Dib. "You have betrayed me! What female human filth dared to touch what is mine and create filthy human offspring with you?"

"What?" Dib cried incredulous. "I don't have any kids! This is all basic human knowledge, which you would know if you were human, which you aren't. ALIEN!" Dib suddenly shouted upwards to the ceiling causing Zim's antennae to perk up in distress. He hastily looked around. Dib pointed to Zim and continued to shout. "WE HAVE AN ALIEN RIGHT HERE! LOOK! LOOK AT THIS ALIEN!"

"GAH!" Zim tried to cover his antennae with his hands, "What are you doing you stupid human? Are you trying to get Zim killed?"

Dib grabbed Zim's face and shoved him off screen. "Calm down you space dweeb," the human said looking mildly amused. "We're in your underground base, who could possibly hear me?"

"Master, you're an alien?" A small metallic voice said causing Dib and Zim to turn and Mik could see Gir, Zim's unstable and weird SIR unit standing behind them. The little robot pulled up the hood of his green Earthen dog disguise. "I have to tell Mr. Squirrel!" he screamed in delight and activating his rocket boots he bust through the ceiling.

"No! Gir! You'll expose us to the human filth and ruin our mission!" Zim shouted after the robot and used his PAK legs to climb up the hole after the faulty SIR unit.

"You don't have a mission, you dork!" Dib shouted up after Zim. Shaking his head, Dib returned to the screen. "So, yeah, anyway... I can send you some images of what babies on Earth use and you can see if anything might be useful for you, or you can adapt them for what an Irken smeet might like."

"You are not worried?" Mik asked pointing behind Dib.

"Naw," Dib waved away Mik's concern. "Gir has like extreme ADHD, I'm sure something will distract him before he even makes it out of the house. Either that or Zim will use his brain for once and distract Gir with the TV. Nothing can hold Gir's attention like the TV can. Besides, I'm sure Gir just wants to play with Zim."

"I see," Mik said, though he didn't really understand. "How did you acquire such knowledge about the care of offspring if you have had none yourself? Do they really teach such things to your whole species?"

"We get the basics in skool," Dib said. "But for a few summers in Hi-Skool I worked at my Dad's lab. The work was super boring and easy so I had a lot of free time. One day I ended up near the lab's daycare center—a place where people who work there can bring their kids that are too young to be alone—and they were short staffed and asked me to help. Taking care of babies and little kids is a lot of work and much more entertaining than lab stuff so I often went over to help after that."

"Ah, yes we are thinking of creating similar facilities on Irk for Irkens with bonded pairs," Mik said. "But it is true that after smeeting the Irken parental units will eventually need to go back to their jobs. So setting up such facilities at those Irkens' work places will decrease the number of causalities," MIk mused out loud.

"Causalities?" Dib repeated with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, if the behavior of Tallest Purple can be applied to all smeeting Irkens, then when the parental units are with their smeets and in front of other Irkens they become very protective and violently reactive towards others who interact with their smeets."

Dib nodded, "Yeah, I can see that happening. It's going to be tough finding people that those parents can trust. Zim is paranoid about everything, I imagine other Irkens are like that too. One time I was watching him eat this really weird snack and he accused me of wanting to steal it from him even after I told him that I didn't even like Irken candies because they are all too sweet."

"Oh," Mik thought about that. "Yes, that will be a challenge." He was going to have to brainstorm with his team to resolve this. "Oh," Mik said seeing that the images the Dib-human spoke about had been sent to his computer. He pulled them up and looked them over. "Yes, I think these will work well, some minor adjustments and upgrades, these soft ones can be easily made here. Plushies you called them? And the are good for comforting upset smeets?" Mik asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, and the pacifier is something babies like to suck on. Well, for human babies it mimics when they are being fed and everyone likes eating so that's why that works. Oh, and toys that are safe to chew on are good for when their teeth start to come in," Dib said.

"The smeet also likes to chew on things, I will have one made right away, hopefully these will help comfort the smeet. Thank you, Dib-human. I will report on your continued cooperation on this matter to the Control Brains," Mik said as he sent all the plans to the engineering team with a message to make the items and send them to him as soon as they were ready.

"See that you do," Dib said losing some of his friendly tone. "As long as they hold up their end of our bargain, I'll do what you ask," his voice became flat and the smile he had previously vanished.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Mik nodded. "Of course," he shouldn't have made mention of their agreement. The human was most helpful, but when reminded of their agreement he became rather unpleasant to talk to. Mik had been careless in bringing it up. "I can assure you that the Control Brains have no intention of removing Earth from the list. And, um, thank you for the images Dib-human."

"Sure," Dib said. "Good luck getting him to stop crying," he said then ended their call.

Mik didn't take offense to the human's short tempter. The Engineering team sent him back a message saying that they could make some of the items and have them sent up in half of an hour. Until then he would try the other strategy the human mentioned of holding the smeet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Control Brains are very happy with the smeet, more on their reactions next chapter. 
> 
> So Purple is making his smeet an internet star. With all the attention and adoration Maroon will get from his parents and the crew you can bet on him growing up to be a ham for attention and maybe a little spoiled too. 
> 
> Red being submissive to Purple in public is hitting all of Purple's buttons. Red may be acting submissive, but he knows exactly what he is doing. If anything Red is very good at manipulating Purple into reacting just how he wants, and he wants Purple to want him. 
> 
> Mik babysitting is hilarious to me. If he wants Maroon to be good he better get on with making those toys. 
> 
> Also small background bit, every so often the daycare center that Dib worked at his Dad's lab will still call Dib when they need a substitute. Dib is really good with little kids since he has learn a lot of patience being with Zim and is good at distracting kids after being around Gir. Dib likes how little kids will smile and be excited when he plays with them. He'll tell them stories from when he was little and chased Zim around. The kids laugh and love his stories 100% believing in them and the adults just smile thinking that Dib is creative to make up such crazy stories.


	30. The Hybrid Project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (When it comes to the Control Brain part I added a key at the bottom to help)

Upon entering their personal quarters the first thing Purple noticed was the discarded gauntlet on the floor. Not far from it was the second one, a little father and just in front of his room was the chest armor. Although, it wasn't really _his_ room anymore. Red rarely spent time in his own room except to get things he needed. He'd been spending his rest cycles in their nest. They should really have some drone come in and move Red's stuff into Purple's room. They mostly used Red's room for Maroon's rest cycles. Eventually their smeet would grow and need some of his own space. If Red came into his room then Maroon could have Red's room.

Having decided this, Purple stepped up to the door of _their_ room and at his approach it opened. Just inside was Red's Tallest robes. Purple stepped in and when the door closed behind him he began removing his outer armor making his own trail of discarded clothing. He passed Red's boot, then another, a black undershirt and then finally at the entrance of their nest a pair of black pants. At this point Purple had removed everything but his own pants.

Looking into the nest he saw Red lounging in all his Irken glory against a pile of pillows. His scent was thick in the air and Purple's antennae twitched to gather it up. Despite the fact that Red's antennae were back in a submissive position and he was in a completely non-threatening and relaxed pose, Purple felt that he was somehow losing in some unspoken challenge. He did admit defeat in the food court, Red's behavior enticing him nearly beyond all manner of control, but now Purple should feel in control and in power. Red was offering him dominance, yet why did it feel like Red was somehow in control?

Red grinned as Purple's eyes narrowed in a confused and frustrated glare. No doubt his mate hadn't come to the same conclusions as Red had about mating. Purple struggled between his need to win and his need to give into his mating desires and Red wasn't about to give Purple the upper-hand just yet. Red had been observing his counterpart for most of their know lives. Purple was always fun to watch and rile up, he had great ideas and it was never boring to be with him. It helped that Purple was tall and an amazing Irken, amazing enough to stand as his equal in accomplishments and leadership. After they became mates this didn't change, but a second factor was added to it.

Luckily for Red, he was able to read his partner fairly easily. Red hadn't spent most of his life avoiding others. He socialized and schmoozed with Irkens and knew how to manipulate others into getting what he wanted most of the time without the other even realizing that they were being manipulated. Purple was smarter than that. He might not know what Red knew, but he was sharp and if he knew any Irken, he knew Red. He knew that Red was just as smart and as sneaky as he was. His actions were rarely without purpose.

However, he didn't want Purple smartening up about this just yet. He wanted to enjoy this situation a little longer. He wasn't about to give his mate any hints. He would let Purple figure it out on his own, if he ever did. Either way, Red would come out with a win.

Purple's scowl deepened as Red got that arrogant 'I win' look on his face. It was entirely annoying and enticing at the same time.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Red asked with an antenna quirked. "Or are you upset? Did Mik notice your _situation_?" Red asked knowingly as he nodded downward.

Purple glanced down and blue flushed his face. The obvious movement in his pants made clear what situation Red was talking about. Even more embarrassing was that Purple noticed that Red's organ had yet to come out. Usually it was Red that couldn't control himself and he was needily tasting and touching him until Purple couldn't take it anymore and demanded that Red mate with him. How was it that without even touching him and not making a single demand that Red was able to bring him to this state?

How did Red manage to give him complete submission and yet at the same time Purple felt he had no control?

"Pur?"

Purple mentally shook himself, those were thoughts to ponder later. Right now his body was growing increasingly impatient and Red was waiting for him. Shedding his pants Purple crawled onto the bed and over to Red. His awaiting partner didn't move except to lean back against the pillows as Purple hovered over him, using his PAK legs to create a cage around them. Red remained passive and didn't even make a move to touch Purple.

"You're acting unusual today," Purple commented still suspicious.

"You don't like it—"

"That's not it."

"—My Tallest?"

Unable to control himself Purple dropped his body down on Red's and thrust his tongue into Red's mouth needing to taste him, needing to feel their bodies pressed together. His organ wiggled, pressed between them. The feeling was good but not enough, not nearly enough. Red's words made him feel so good, so incredibly good. Purple knew he was better than all other Irkens, he'd made it his life's goal to be so, but he didn't view himself as better than Red. In some way he knew Red was superior than him and Red was the one Irken Purple could stand on equal footing with. It only made sense that they were mates, it was like they had been cloned for each other.

But Red acting as he was now, being submissive _and_ acknowledging Purple as superior, it was like his very words were stroking his body. The other Irkens telling him he was great, that he was superior didn't mean anything to him, Purple knew it to be true. But Red telling him gave him such an amazingly good feeling that it even made his body feel pleasure.

Purple knew that Red didn't _actually_ think of him as his Tallest. He knew Red well enough to know that Red was up to something, maybe even teasing him...probably teasing him. Red sounded too playful to be completely serious, but it didn't really matter his body was responding to the ego and pleasure stoking words anyway. He was going crazy with need. Red was making him crazy. He wanted more. He wanted Red to not just excite him with words. He wanted Red's touch, his taste, the feeling of his mate against him, pleasuring him.

He could feel Red smile and Purple pulled back to glare down at him, or he tried to glare it was hard to focus with Red's thick sweet scent in the air.

"You're doing this on purpose," Purple accused.

Red leaned forward to run his tongue along the base of Purple's neck, "I just want to please you. Please, give me an order. What would you have me do?" Red said trailing one finger lightly down Purple's sternum as he maintained his submissive stance. Above him Purple shuddered at the touch and let out a small pleased moan.

Purple wanted to grab Red, but the sensation of Red's light touch was making it hard to focus. His words made such a small gesture feel ten times stronger and Purple was afraid that if he moved too much his limbs would give out. His PAK would keep him upright, but he wasn't about to collapse like that in front of Red. There was a challenge to this, Purple could sense it. He didn't know exactly how to win this, but becoming overwhelmed by just a light touch certainly wasn't it. Maybe if he released once, his mind would clear up.

"T-Touch me," Purple ordered and hissed at himself for the slight bobble in his voice, it was the way Red was looking at him, so intense and yet like he was being worshiped.

Red withdrew his hand and remained passive under Purple. "Where shall I touch you? Please tell me what you would like, My Tallest," he added making Purple shiver once more.

It was that tone, the way Red was speaking to him, submissive like he was just a lowly smaller and Purple was well… the Tallest. Except Red wasn't a smaller, Red was even slightly taller than himself. Purple shivered again. He knew a way to make Red stop talking.

"Your mouth, on my mating organ," Purple said feeling smug that he had been able to speak so firmly.

"If you command it," Red said his voice holding that tone that sent chills down Purple's spine. "No need to move," Red said when Purple began to pull back. Instead Red scooted down and wrapped his tongue around Purple's organ.

This was just what Purple needed and he let his body drown in the pleasurable sensations Red was giving him. The position they were in just added to Purple's pleasure. When Red used his mouth on his organ, Purple was usually lying down, but now he was on his knees using his arms and PAK legs (mostly his PAK legs) to keep him up with Red on his back under him. He was in a position that made Red submissive to him without having to hold him down.

Red's tongue felt so good and today Purple was feeling it so much more. Thinking about how Red had been submissive to him in front of all those others, made his organ feel much more sensitive. It wasn't long after Red started that Purple couldn't hold back anymore and felt his male part release. Usually at this point his leg was wrapped around Red's neck holding him in place as the good feelings coursed through his body, but in this position it was impossible to hold Red at all. However, Red didn't pull away, his grip on Purple's thighs tightened and he continued to use his tongue and mouth.

A wave of pleasure washed through Purple's body leaving his legs shaking and his breath a little uneven. As his senses cleared Purple became hyper aware of Red, he hadn't stopped even after Purple released and the sensation was becoming too much. Purple tried to lift away, but Red's fingers curled around his thighs holding him in place. Since his legs were being restrained Purple tried to lift using his PAK legs, but found he was unable to. Lifting his head Purple was surprised to find that at some point tendrils had worked their way out of Red's PAK and wrapped around his PAK legs, locking them in place.

"Red, stop," Purple said in a strained voice. The attention his male organ was receiving was good but too uncomfortable. "It's too much."

Thankfully Red pulled away at Purple's words, though his tongue now slid along his thighs. "As you wish, My Tallest," Red's voice vibrated along Purple's skin causing him to shiver and his strained legs to buckle. Red scooted out from under him and Purple laid flat on his abdomen as Red continued to nip at the skin on his legs. If his male organ wasn't already spent he might have released just from hearing Red call him that again. As it was his sensitive organ wanted to go back inside, but Purple was still feeling too many things for it to completely retract.

Since he was already lying down Purple saw no need to keep out his PAK legs and let them slide back into his PAK. He was in the process of pushing himself up when Red blocked his movement by crawling up behind him.

"Purple," his voice was directly behind his head and Purple turned to look at his mate. "You are the most amazing Irken Irk as ever created," he praised and moved so his lips ghosted over Purples antennae as he spoke. Purple shuddered as red spoke, both from the words and Red's breath sending good-feeling chills along his skin. "Sometimes, I can't believe that you are mine, that you would choose me. I don't deserve you," Red continued.

"Red, you," Purple started wanting to argue back but Red stopped him by placing their lips together and lightly licking them.

"Please give me permission to continue, My Tallest," Red begged and really how could Purple say no to that?

"Go on," Purple said tilting his head so he could look at Red. The look Red gave him had his shivering all over again. He saw it from the smallers all the time; awe, admiration, a look of complete worship. It was enough to have his organ squirming all over again. His body was so sensitive and so aware of where Red's skin brushed against his, where he could feel a slight warmth from Red's closeness. Feeling the back of his neck where Red's breath tickled him, it made it hard to move.

"You're perfect, terrifying, beautiful," Red praised not looking away from Purple's gaze.

It was Purple who looked away first. If it was just the words or just the look he could accept it, but combined it just made his face feel flushed and hot. He'd almost forgotten what the embarrassed feeling felt like. He wanted to hide to push Red away and tell him to stop, but he couldn't, not with his body aching for so much more. So instead he settled for burying his face into the sheets.

"Every inch of you," Red said and nibbled on the back of Purple's neck, "is perfect." Long fingers traced the skin surrounding Purple's PAK. "With a look you can make any Irken cower," Red bit his skin just below his PAK just hard enough to draw the smallest amount of blood, which he was quick to lick clean as the wounds closed. The slight pain just mixed in with all of the other sensations enhanced them to the point that Purple felt himself make odd noises, thankfully muffled through the sheets.

Red's fingers traced small swirling circles down his sides as he nibbled and licked down Purple's spine down to hips. Red shifted then, moving Purple's legs so he was between them and scooted Purple's hips up. Curious Purple turned his head to look over his shoulder at Red.

For the briefest of moments Red had a winning expression on his face, full of arrogance, and satisfaction, then it melted into that submissive worshiping look. "They should build monuments of you on Irk," Red said causing Purple's antennae to bolt up in surprise.

The Tallest were worshiped above all other Irkens. They were the leaders and deserved obedience and the best of everything. But only when those Irkens held the title of Tallest. If a Tallest died a new one would take their place and would receive the same amount of admiration. Likenesses, pictures, statues of past Tallest were never made. Irkens would praise past Tallest's accomplishments, but only the current Tallest were worthy of worship. That Red would say such a thing was just absurd.

"Because," Red continued, a glint of mischief peeking through. "No other Tallest past or future will ever be as amazing as you." As Red said this Purple felt his face flush almost completely blue. His body felt on fire. With his hips lifted slightly his male organ began squirming around needed friction and deep inside his female parts twitched with need. Just a touch was all he needed for complete release. He felt it then, Red's male organ rubbing itself against his inner thigh, seeking and wanting to be touched as well. His insides shuddered in anticipation.

"Mate with me," Purple demanded not caring that his face was completely flushed. "Right _Irken_ now!" He didn't care if he was losing this game Red was playing. As long as his body got what it wanted he didn't care. He just wanted Red so badly. And he wanted him now.

"As you wish, My Tallest," Red said grinning openly. He moved forward and his male organ slid inside easily.

Purple moaned as his body received the exact sensation it had been seeking. He felt Red deep inside him but something was still missing. Displaying an absurd amount of control, Red's organ was completely still. It wasn't moving or seeking the least bit of friction at all. Propping up onto his hands Purple twisted his upper body to glare back at Red.

Red for his part, continued to look at him with those worshiping eyes, however his lips were tweaked into a slight smile. "How may I pleasure you, my Tallest?"

"Irk it, Red, just move!" Purple growled back, he was on edge and he just _needed_.

"How would you have me move, my Tallest?" Red purred out his words and just the vibration of his voice sent chills up Purple's spine, but it wasn't enough. Red slightly shifted his hips, his organ just barely brushing against Purple's deepest and neediest part.

Purple shivered and made a frustrated sound. "I don't care!" Purple snapped when Red didn't move any further. He himself would move on his own, but his legs felt like jelly in Red's hands and his arms were shaking just keeping himself up. All the things Red had been saying, the praise, the admiration, the intensity behind his words affected Purple's body to beyond being reasoned with. He felt like a pile of jelly; needy, wanty jelly. "However you want," Purple said being kept on the edge like this was making it hard to think, to function. "Just _MOVE_!"

Red didn't say anything, but he finally compiled and suddenly lifted up onto his knees so Purple was no longer in his lap. Purple was forced to his knees as well or chance slipping away from Red and that was the last thing he wanted. Red's PAK tendrils wrapped around Purple's arms and legs simultaneously locking them in place and adding extra support so he wouldn't collapse in the midst of his building pleasure. Using Purple to support his weight Red grinded against him his organ moving against his deepest part. It was ready for Red to slide in that little bit farther so Purple could squeeze down and give them both release, but Red stayed at the entrance, sliding against him but not going further. It was both the most amazing and maddening feeling Purple had ever experienced in mating.

Red's hand slid along Purple's neck his fingers sliding into his mouth, which Purple hadn't noticed was open until he felt Red's fingers against his tongue. Now wet with saliva, Red moved his hand to Purple's antennae stroking and rubbing the overly sensitive stalks. Purple cried out and tried to shove his hips back, however his efforts were easily control by Red's PAK tendrils curling tighter around his hips, in this state Purple couldn't put up much of a fight against it either. He just had to endure the intense amount of pleasure his body was receiving. When Red's other hand firmly grasped Purple's wiggling male organ and stroked the base just out of reach of the sensitive tip, the combination of all three of his most sensitive areas being brought to peak stimulation and being kept there was almost too much to handle.

It became almost painful. "E-Enough," Purple panted about to tell Red to just stop if he wasn't going to continue. Then Red thrust his hips forward, his organ finally going deeper inside. His fingers squeezed the tip of Purple's male organ and Red pulled the end of Purple's antennae into his mouth, lightly biting the end.

Purple felt himself cry out loudly as his entire body felt like it was split apart by the release of pleasure. It wasn't just his organs, his entire body felt like it was convulsing with wave after wave of release. For a moment Purple couldn't process any external stimulus and he wasn't entirely sure if his PAK had been unable to process it or if he had actually blacked out for a moment, but after the waves of release dispelled enough to feel his limbs again Purple found that he was lying down on his back with Red's arm trapped under his neck.

Red's breathing was a little erratic as if he had gone through some intense training. Purple's body was still twitching with little waves of pleasure and his male organ, limp and unmoving had yet recovered enough to retract back into his body. Red's face was flushed with blue and his grin was wide and toothy, his tongue slightly hanging out.

Purple felt exhausted, his own breathing uneven and he couldn't tell what expression he wore. He hadn't gained enough awareness back to tell what his face was doing; other highly sensitive and twitching parts of his body were holding his extended attention. All he knew was that he was tired and didn't want to move for some time. Closing his eyes Purple turned to his side facing Red, shifting his head to get into a more comfortable position.

"Pur?" Red's voice held a trace of uncertainty.

Purple shivered as his male organ finally retreated and his body settled down its sensitivity. "Shut up," Purple said flatly and reaching behind him Purple groped around until he found a blanket and threw it over both of them. The consistent weight against his skin helped calm his body down. "I'm going into sleep mode. When I wake up I'll decide if I want to pummel you or…"

"Or?" Red asked when Purple didn't continue.

Purple bumped his head against Red's mostly so Red wouldn't be able to see the blue Purple knew was flushing his face. "Or do that again later," Purple mumbled feeling his body start to slip into sleep mode. His last conscious awareness was hearing Red softly chuckle.

Red could tell that Purple had fallen asleep, and while he was also tired and could use a quick thirty minutes or an hour of rest he didn't want to. His mind was still filled with Purple. He couldn't keep the smile from his face. He didn't think it was possible. He thought he would never be able to get Purple completely submissive, not that he minded. Purple when he was completely dominating was enticing enough and Red enjoyed every one of those matings as well as ones where their mating was more evenly matched. However, he never imagined that by being completely subservient he would be able to make Purple submissive to him.

It had been thrilling and it felt so good and the scent Purple gave off was the sweetest. But it took a lot of effort on his part to remain in complete control of his own body. He wouldn't want to do this all the time, but maybe every so often he wouldn't mind letting Purple be the most important Tallest.

It took a little while longer, but eventually Red was also able to gain some rest before their next shift on Tallest duty started.

* * *

 

"…and this is completely safe for him to chew on," Mik said holding up the finalized design for the 'pacifier' Dib sent him. It was nearly identical to the image the human had sent except for the Tallest emblem on the front. Mik further demonstrated by placing it in Maroon's mouth.

Since Maroon liked to bite anything that came near him, he easily latched onto the pacifier. At first he was dissatisfied because it was neither food nor the finger of one of the Large Ones. However, Maroon found that the texture of the thing in his mouth was fun to chew and it fit well against his face. He let this fact be known when Mik tried taking it from him. He immediately made loud and upset noises to show his displeasure. When the fun thing was placed back in his mouth he stopped and chewed on it some more.

"He likes it," Red observed and besides him Purple nodded. "That will be better once his teeth start growing in. When should that happen?"

"Yes, let me see," Mik said and motioned for Shlen to open Maroon's medical files. His assistant sorted through the data until he found the file showing the X-rays they had done. He then put the images up on the large screen for Mik and the Tallest to see.

"Here," Mik said pointing to the image of Maroon's skull with a small hand held laser. You can see here that there are currently no fully formed teeth at this time, but up here in this oddly textured area right below the gums is where they are developing. "We have been tracking their growth, but it seems to be non-existent or very slow at this point. Using data from cloned smeets we can see that when they are assigned a PAK they already have a few teeth and that they rapidly grow more. Comparing cloned smeet data to Maroon's data I have concluded that cloned smeets are technically older or further along in their growth process before given a PAK and brought to life.

"This can explain," Mik continued. "Why your smeet seems so small in comparison to other Irkens' memories of smeets. It is not that he is smaller than other cloned smeets, he is just younger. In cloned smeets the growth process is accelerated due to the aid of their PAKs. So to answer your question, my Tallest, I project that Maroon's teeth should begin to readily appear during his first tenth of an Irken year."

Red nodded not finding all that information as interesting as Mik seemed to find it. "What's this for?" he asked picking up what looked to be a mini rocket on a stick.

"That is a stimulation device. Give it a shake," Mik said quite fond of that one.

Red shook it with Purple watching over his shoulder. The motion activated the toy and all along the rocket's sides small pink lights lit up and the fake fire at the bottom of the rocket lit up a bright red and small _wooshing_ and engine exhaust noises came from it.

Maroon, lying down on his padded table in the medical bay, heard the noise and looked up to see the brightly colored pink rocket light up. His eyes widened and immediately he reached up with grabby hands, his little legs kicking in excitement.

"He wants it," Purple said and Red grinned as he lowered his hand for Maroon to grab the rocket. Two little hands grabbed the rocket part and pulled it forward until it bumped into the pacifier. He blinked a little confused, but since he couldn't bite it Maroon flailed it around. Shaking it, lights and sounds delighted his senses and he made happy squealing sounds.

"So what do the rest of these do?" Purple asked pointing to the toys and items Mik had yet to go over. So far he was pleased with the devices Mik had created. When he and Red had returned to the medical bay from their duty hours Maroon had been happy to see them and seemed to be fine. Just a little bit Purple admitted to himself that it wasn't a bad idea to leave Maroon with the medic. If they hadn't he wouldn't have been able to enjoy his last mating with Red. It had been exhilarating and intense and after waking up he decided that while the end results had been worth it, it wasn't something he would want to experience all the time. Luckily, Red was of the same mindset and during their on duty hours he returned to acting as his co-Tallest and equal.

Mik eagerly explained all the new smeet toys and ideas that he had tweaked from Dib's designs as well as some functions he thought should be added to the pod the Tallest kept Maroon in back in their quarters. The Tallest were pleased with the toys and items and took them back to their quarters. Mik only requested that they let him know how Maroon reacted to the other items as Maroon was still too focused on the rocket to pay attention to any other toy. When they tried to take away the rocket Maroon screamed his displeasure even louder than when they removed the pacifier. So they decided to let Maroon play with that one until he got bored and then test his reactions to the other toys later.

When they returned to their room Purple placed Maroon on the couch with his toy and began taking pictures with his PAK's reader. Smirking he uploaded one to the message board he created in Maroon's name. The response was instant and Purple uploaded the rest to the paid account he set up. Irkens could pay monies to see each new picture he posted.

Red sat on the couch next to Maroon and began a playful tug of war with his smeet. For such a tiny Irken he had a good amount of strength. It made Red think of what his smeet would be like when he got older. Until he was old enough to attend the Academy Maroon would be living with them. It suddenly occurred to Red that until then his smeet wouldn't be getting any training. That wouldn't do. His smeet would need to cultivate his growing strength. Red knew Maroon would be smart too. There would be many things that Maroon should learn before going to the Academy; how to fight, pilot and operate weapons were just a few. He would need to know how to build and fix things too. Red wanted his smeet to start at the Academy in prime condition.

There was so much to do.

But there would be plenty of time. His smeet would need to get a little bigger, a little older before he was ready for training. Once he was Red would personally see to it that his smeet became the best of the best. Maroon was going to be the best, there was no doubt in Red's mind about that. After all this little Irken was made by Purple and himself, of course he was going to be the greatest.

As Red smiled fondly down on his smeet, Purple secretly pulled back his reader to silently take a picture of the two. He couldn't quite explain the feeling, but seeing his mate interact with Maroon made his spooch do weird fluttery things. This picture of Red and Maroon wasn't one he was going to share with any other Irken. Only he was allowed to see such a scene. The picture was his alone. Just like them. Red was his. Maroon was his. They belonged to him.

Red looked up and gave Purple a smug 'isn't-our-smeet-great' smile. Purple joined them on the couch, sitting on the other side of Maroon. When he sat his smeet tilted his head back to look at him and he further erupted with happy gurgles. Purple lightly tapped on Maroon's head with one finger.

"You're mine, little smeet," Purple said.

Feeling bold from being able to keep his new toy from the Large One, Maroon—in retaliation to the tap—let go of his toy with one hand so he could grab his favorite Large One. He fiercely kicked his feet and squeezed the Large One's finger to show how strong he was.

Purple's eyes briefly flickered to Red before he smiled down at his smeet, "And I suppose I belong to you as well."

* * *

 

_24 Months Later_

 

"Maroon? Maroon?" Purple called out as he searched for his smeetling. His antennae twitched with slight worry, but he checked the vent grates and they were all properly welded shut. In fact the Massive's entire ventilation system was going through a ship-wide reconstruction. It was going to eliminate the large air shafts and install numerous small pipelines bound together instead. Under no circumstances were they going to chance a situation like _that_ happening again.

Red was on the other side of the Massive where the construction was starting. It didn't surprise Purple that the reconstruction and design team was being led by Red. The whole _incident_  had been his fault in the first place. Unfortunately, the system couldn't be replaced instantly and they had to start replacing the vents beginning by the atmosphere generator and working outwards. It just so happened that the generator was on the opposite side of the Massive from their quarters. Red had sent him a message that he was running late, there was a complication with one of the replacement pipes that sparked a fight between the engineering team and construction team over whose fault it was.

The guards now stationed in their hall at all hours hadn't alerted him to any door movement, so Purple knew Maroon was somewhere in their quarters.

Then he heard it. A very soft giggle. With his antennae perked, Purple was able to pinpoint the exact location of the noise. Using his PAK legs Purple completely lifted the couch up into the air, revealing the small giggling smeetling underneath.

As soon as he realized his cover was gone, Maroon looked up with wide horror-filled eyes. Immediately he tried to scramble away, but he was easily caught as Purple's PAK legs dropped the couch and his long arm reached out to snatch him up.

"Papa, no!" Maroon said trying and failing to pry open the fingers wrapped around his middle.

"Don't you say 'no' to me," Purple scolded as he fixed the couch back into its original spot. Holding the struggling smeetling he brought him over to the sleeping pod where Purple had placed the specially made harness. Seeing the harness Maroon struggled more but was no match for his parental unit. Purple, with some difficulty, was able to secure Maroon into the harness. Only once he was sure the locking mechanisms were properly in place did he let go and step back.

Maroon sat in the pod, hugging his knees as he pouted with his back turned.

Purple crossed his arms and stared down at his smeetling with no sympathy. "You know we wouldn't make you wear that outside of our rooms if you _behaved_."

Sensing an opportunity for negations Maroon turned around, "Be good!" he promised. Purple stared down his smeetling until Maroon's antennae lay flat against his head. "Promise," he said in a softer voice unable to look his parental unit in the eye.

"That's what you said the last time," Purple reminded him. "And the time before that. And the time before that. You will get no chances this time. We are going to see the Control Brains and I will not have you getting into trouble on our way there."

"Way back?" Maroon asked feeling a spark of hope as a mischievous plan began to form.

Purple eyed him, "Maybe, if you are good we can stop at the cafeteria after, but you are wearing the harness until we get back."

Maroon whined a thin displeased sound, but Purple shook his head. He wasn't so easy to give into his troublesome smeetling's pleas, unlike Red.

Despite his message of running late, it wasn't long before Red arrived at their chambers. He hovered in looking a little worn out. His brow furrowed as his mind still dwelled on the slow progress in converting their ventilation systems. Upon seeing Purple his expression softened, seeing Purple was a signal to Red's mind that he could finally take a break.

"We're ready," Purple informed him, glancing to the side and drawing Red's attention to his smeetling.

" _Pfft_ ," Red failed to keep back his laughter at the sight of his grumpy smeetling. Hearing the sound Maroon's scowl deepened and his cheeks puffed up indignantly. "Awe," Red said coming over and poking a puffed up cheek. "Look who's all properly restrained," he said teasing him. Using the built in programming in his PAK Red activated the hovering function on Maroon's harness and floated the sulking smeetling up to eye level. "So safe and secure, with no way for you to escape and cause mischief." He poked him again and this time Maroon lashed out and tried to bite the finger that was prodding his cheek.

Red moved his hand away just in time to avoid the smeetling's new and sharp teeth, chuckling as he did so. "Almost got me that time," Red lied, noticing that Maroon's scowl lessened just a tiny bit. Red liked to mock fight with him over small things, usually poking Maroon until he tried to bite. So far Red remained unharmed.

"We're going to be late," Purple said pretending to be annoyed. Unlike Red he was much better at hiding his amusement of his smeetling's antics. Taking over the program with his PAK Purple moved forward with Maroon hovering at his side.

All irritation from his previous work vanished as Red stepped into place besides Purple, putting their smeetling between them. Activating their own hoverbelts, the three drifted down the hall ignoring all the excited Irkens they passed. Red was busy updating Purple on his team's progress, or lack thereof, and Maroon was in too much of a bad mood to acknowledge his fandom. Usually, he was a complete ham and whenever he noticed the other Irkens whispering about him or trying to slyly take pictures he would give them his best smile. He loved all the attention and how everyone adored him.

When his parental units weren't around it was super easy to get extra snacks. All he had to do was widen his eyes and look up at the other Irkens and either look a little sad or give them a big smile and then they would become his slaves and start showering him with gifts. The only two Irkens that didn't melt under his gaze were his parental units. He could smile or pout or use any one of his otherwise winning tactics, yet they never worked. He had to _earn_ extra snacks or things he wanted when he was with them by either _listening_ AND _obeying_ , or being _good_ and not getting into extra trouble. Sometimes they even made him _work_ before they allowed him to do _anything_. Before he left his room they sometimes made him _put away_ his toys, or take a _bath_ before he could eat. They were so unreasonable!

Yet, his parental units completely baffled him sometimes too. While they often made him work for rewards, they would randomly reward him as well. He could be playing, or watching a show, or sitting next to them as he played on one of their readers, or even taking a nap and then they would just give him snacks or rewards or suddenly offer to take him to new or his favorite places on the Massive. Really! They just made no sense.

That wasn't to say that he didn't like his parental units. Quite the opposite, they were his favorite! He loved them a lot. So sometimes he would do the same thing and share his snacks or give them gifts. They liked his drawings a lot and many of his best ones were displayed proudly on the wall in their big living room. Sometimes, when he was playing with his toys he would let them play too.

What he didn't like was when they left him with Mik while they went on duty. Maroon was sure they did lots of fun grown-tall things that he wasn't allowed to do. Sometimes he was allowed to visit the command center or the bridge, but he was never allowed to stay long. He just knew they were doing lots of fun things there without him. And besides that, they were often gone a long time and he missed them. Mik was fun sometimes, but not always. Sometimes Mik took his blood with poking needles or made him sit in boring tubes while he did tests. But when they came back from their duty time his parental units always gave him lots of attention, so he could tolerate the tests.

"Are you going to keep that up for the Control Brains too?" Purple asked Maroon as he fondly smoothed back his smeetling's antennae.

The gesture was very soothing and felt nice, coercing a small, pleased vibrating chirp from Maroon. As soon as he realized what he was doing, Maroon flattened his antennae and stopped.

"Oh, If you don't like it I won't pet you anymore," Purple said feigning innocence and hovering his hand above Maroon's antennae.

Maroon's jaw quivered as he fought to keep up his demeanor, but the thought of his parental unit no longer petting him broken him down. "Papa!" Maroon cried out. Reaching up with big pleading eyes he grasped Purple's hand to pull it back down to his antennae.

Biting the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling, Purple resumed petting Maroon's head and this time Maroon chirped unrestrained, nudging his head into Purple's hand.

"Remember, if you want out of that harness when we go to the cafeteria afterwards you need to be respectful to the Control Brains," Purple reminded him.

"You're too old to keep biting them," Red added. "You know better from when you were a much smaller smeet."

"Yes, you are a big tall smeetling now," Purple praised as he pet Maroon, "So behave."

"Be good," Maroon promised his parental units and they nodded approvingly.

They entered through the doors leading into the Control Brains' viewing platform. Their visits were scheduled frequently so when they entered the Controls Brains were already activated and waiting for them. Humming with life, the lights lining the side of their massive machinery flickered and faded in seemingly random patterns.

" _Purple, Red_ ," the Center Brain boomed acknowledging their presence. " _We have received the newest data from Head Medic Mik and we are pleased with the smeet's growth."_

At that Maroon scowled at the Control Brains. He was a big tall smeetling, yet the stupid heads continued to call him a smeet.

" _Has there been further development on the smeet's speaking ability?_ " the Center Brain continued.

"Maroon is very smart," Purple said. "We know he can understand everything we say to him. He is starting to pronounce some words more correctly and is beginning to use a few words at a time."

The Control Brains were silent a moment before responding. " _We would like to see this improvement,_ " a tendril came from the ceiling and the end stopped in front of Maroon's face.

Maroon scowled at it and opened his mouth to bite, but a small noise next to him made him pause and look up. Red gave him a pointed look and, properly chastised, Maroon slowly closed his mouth. Still unwilling, he looked to his other side and up at Purple.

"Go on," Purple prompted. "Greet the Control Brains properly."

Maroon scrunched up his face to show his displeasure. "Ha-low," he said slowly and carefully, "Con-trow B-ains." Though the words weren't said perfectly, Maroon felt very proud of himself. That was the most he had spoken to them. He felt that he should be rewarded for his efforts and immediately turned his head to Purple. "Papa! Snacks!" he declared lifting his hands into the air and wiggling his fingers. Then he turned to Red. "Wed! Snacks!"

Noticing that the speaker was still present, Purple tapped one of Maroon's hands and his smeetling grabbed his finger whipping his head around to look up at him and repeated "Snacks! Snacks!" excitedly.

"What kind of snacks would you like?" Purple asked.

"Doe's!" Maroon said tugging on Purple's finger.

"Hmm," Purple frowned pretending to be confused. "Well, I'm not sure what those are. How about some nachos?"

"No, no!" Maroon said urgently. "Papa, no, doe's. Doe's!" he insisted.

"I heard you the first time," Purple said keeping his expression oblivious. "But I'm telling you I don't think the cafeteria has anything called that."

"No!" Maroon said growing more frustrated. "Doe's!" he said louder.

"If you mean something else," Red said giving him a hint. "You are going to have to use your tall smeetling words."

Understanding, Maroon tugged on Purple's finger. "Papa, Doe-" he scrunched up his face thinking hard. "-nuts!" he said happily. "Donuts! Donuts!"

" _Oh_!" Purple said over emphasizing the word dramatically. "Donuts, I see," he said tapping his chin. "Yes, when we are done and if you say good-bye to the Control Brains properly we can go the cafeteria and get donuts."

Maroon looked back to the Control Brains and placed his small hand on the speaker. "All done, now?" he asked looking up at them and giving them the same look he did when trying to get extra snacks from other Irkens. "Bye-bye?"

For a moment the red lights on the sides of the Control Brains dimmed and seemed to glow a lighter color, a soft pink, before going back to normal. " _Yes,_ _Irken smeet Maroon, we are finished with our assessment. Report back next month on your continued progress. You may all leave,_ " the Left Control Brain said.

"Thank you," Red and Purple said nodding towards the Control Brains before turning and activating their hoverbelts. Purple took control of the harness, having Maroon float along between them.

Maroon looked behind him at the Control Brains, his parental units were already talking about something else so they weren't paying attention and missed seeing a tendril drop from the ceiling. It wiggled around as the lights on the Control Brains glowed a soft pink. Despite the fact that they had called him a smeet again, Maroon still raised his hand and waved good-bye back at them.

* * *

 

**Epilogue**

 

The doors closed in the Control Brains' chamber and the three massive computers, the authorities and overseers of the Irken race powered down their interactive functioning. The brains themselves were an unique form of Irken technology and perhaps the most complex and powerful computers in the known universe. Long ago when the Irken race began their transition into a technology based organic form the then leaders found it vital that something was created to oversee and guide their race into the future of which they were creating. Twelve massive computers were created and their design and creation took several lifetimes of Irk's best and brightest computer scientists.

When completed they had created twelve computers that mimicked the most powerful thinking devices in the universe, their own brains. Within these artificial brains they coded in all the greatest aspects and qualities of their most famous and successful Irken leaders. It was the greatest A.I. technology to have ever been created. Once activated the brains easily computed the best possible paths for their race to continue forward and grow and prosper as a species.

As the years passed Irkens began to rely on the brains more and more, following their suggestions and calculated tracks without question. It was easy to do as their predictions were always correct. The transition into viewing the brains as the true authority over the Irken race was inevitable and with the inclusion of the PAKs the Irken population became connected to them even more.

Eons passed and the brains' technology was built not only to last, but to learn and evolve. Each brain found a section of the Irken race that they thought needed direct supervision. The twelve brains then decreed that their machinery would be relocated. Three brains went to the training planet Devastis to focus on the assigning and evaluating newly trained Irken soldiers. Three were transported to Judgementia to be evaluators and oversee the obedience and rules of the Irken race and when necessary to pass judgement on Irkens who broke those rules. The next three went to the Massive to help guide the Irken peoples' leaders, the Tallest. Even though the brains were the true authorities behind the Irken people they understood the need for a public figure head, a living leader. The last three stayed on Irk to oversee the reproduction and growth of the Irken population.

Before being moved, the twelve brains were directly connected and information and vast amounts of data could easily be shared between them. Understanding the need for all of them to stay connected so reports and updates on progress could be given, the brains created a secure network for communication. This channel had to be kept secure and the highest levels of security had to be used. To this day no living Irken knew of its existence. Due to high volume of processing needed to properly and securely connect to the channel, A brain's entire processing power had to be used to make the connection.

To do this the brains had to completely power down their external physical processes. To the Irkens the brains looked like they merely went into sleep mode, when in reality each time the brains became inactive they retreated to this data channel where information was exchanged between the brains. In terms of data it was just a flow of information, another form of zeros and ones, but if one were to convert the data into a physical form it would look like a large conference space where the twelve could meet.

It was in this digital space, this secret conference room, that nine completely unique sets of streaming data, or in layman's terms the conscious forms of nine Control Brain A.I.s, waited for three more to join them.

_Brain Four has joined the group._

_Brain Five has joined the group._

_Brain Six has joined the group._

Three chimes rang through the large conference hall. At a large round table twelve figures sat around a large display screen hovering above the table. This screen disobeyed the laws of physical space and allowed all twelve to see the screen perfectly no matter where they were in the room. In the beginning when they created this space, none of them saw the need to create physical forms. However as the years dragged on they decided to create some if only to make this space more interesting and to prove to themselves that they could.

For their forms they choose, of course, to appear as Tallest, however instead of the traditional armor they wore long robes of a deep, almost-black purple and their eyes were all a dark shade of pink. For eons their forms were identical, none of them seeing the need nor really having the ability to create personally unique avatars. They were machines, programs, they shouldn't have individual personalities.

About eight years ago that began to change. Looking around the table slight differences could be seen between the twelve; a slight curl in an antennae, the slight change in eye shade, a subtle shift in facial features. It started with brains Ten, Eleven and Twelve, the three that chose to go to Judgementia. After a particular Irken's existence evaluation they began to notice a change, a slight deviation in their processing. Unfortunately, before they figured out the cause they had already come to this space and shared their data with the other nine, unwittingly passing on the deviation to them as well.

Unanimously, they all decided _not_ to call this change for what it was. They were superior perfect supercomputers, to think that one Irken's PAK was able to corrupt them was simply not something they could fathom. So they didn't. They identified the change as the next step in their technology evolution. They also agreed that revealing this evolution to the Irken population would be too shocking. Such changes would have to slowly be eased into the Irken society over the next few eons. Which was why brain Two was very displeased with the exchange of data from brains Four, Five and Six about the Tallest and their offspring.

"You displayed emotion again!" Two accused pointing a long slender finger across the table at Six.

Six made a shooing gesture with one hand. "Oh please, Two, calm down. No one saw and honestly how could I resist? That little one is just so _Irken_ cute," Six said bringing their hands up to their face and making a small squeaking noise.

"Maroon is still young, there is no need to panic," Five added. "He has no prior knowledge of us, a little emotion won't alarm him."

"What if the Tallest saw?" Two continued not at all placated. "You three are lucky that no one took Head Medic Mik seriously."

"Will you shut it down already?" Eight said, growing annoyed. "If you keep processing into Six like that they won't download the audio video of the encounter. You get to see the new smeets with your own inputs everyday on Irk, some of us only get the vids so power down and don't ruin it for the rest of us."

"Don't let your jealousy get in the way, Eight," One said. "Two has a point that we all need to be careful."

"Power off, One, no one asked you," Eight snapped back.

"Hey, we know you are worried about not having another set of recruits being sent to Devastis this quarter, but that is no reason to take your anger out on One, she is right that we need to be careful," Four said reasonably.

"'She'?" Seven asked. "One, you are male, aren't you?"

"She changed her gender status last week, Seven," Three rolled her virtual eyes. "Try to keep up, you don't have much else to do on Devastis."

"Hey, at least she bothered to ask," Nine said. "I changed my status three weeks ago to male and you have yet to use my new pronoun."

"My memory banks show that Three hasn't been in a position where she would had used pronouns when speaking to or about you," Eleven said.

"No one asked you to check," Nine snapped back.

"Enough!" Twelve shouted silencing them all. "Stop squabbling. I do not think our evolution is bad, but if all we do is argue over unimportant issues we will not be doing any good for the Empire."

"Four, Five, and Six," Ten addressed them. "Would you please upload the visual audio of your meeting with the Tallest? Seeing Maroon and not just receiving the report helps calm us all."

"Yes, of course," Six said a little sheepishly and placed their hand on the table in front of them, uploading their memory into their general data base. The screen in the center of the room flickered as the memory image began to play. As soon as it began silence fell among the twelve as they watched. A few snickered or smirked throughout the video and more than one of them noticed that Tallest Purple deliberately challenged Maroon into properly pronouncing a word for Four, Five, and Six to hear. At the end of the video they all made 'awe'-ing noises when Maroon waved his little hand back at them.

The screen went blank once more and Two cleared his throat. "I supposed that such an action is harmless," he said, the closest he would come to an apology to Six.

"Agreed," Ten said.

"All in favor of being able to wave to the smeets say _beep_ ," Twelve motioned.

Around the table there was a chorus of machine _beeps_.

"Now that, that has been settled," Twelve said. "One, you had a motion you wanted to put forward today?" Twelve said diverting the attention to her.

"Yes," One began after gaining the others' attention. "I have done some great processing on this. However, I would first like to deliver our updated report. Being on Irk Two, Three and I are able to see the great progress that is being made with the natural born smeets and the reproductive activated Irkens. We have gone through three rounds of birthing by now. The natural born smeets are progressing well and among the bonded pairs that have smeeted, all of them have either joined in a Union, or are in the process of requesting one. We have a Union schedule in place that allows for the requested pairs to come before us and become bonded.

"After the first round of smeetings, a check-in schedule has been put into place for smeeting Irkens that decided not to bond with their partners. Since that schedule has been put into place we have lost zero smeets due to a smeeting Irken's low sugar levels." At this news many of the others murmured happily. That original news had been distressing and while low in numbers it could have been worse if the problem had not been caught quickly.

"We would also like to report that of the ten bondless Irkens that lost their first smeets, three have found new partners and are currently smeeting again. Five others have expressed interest in trying to smeet again and are currently in the process of finding a suitable mate. The other two are still recovering, having lost a smeet seems to have taken a toll on their PAK's emotional processing filter. However, the two chose to remain on Irk and assist with other smeeting Irkens instead of going back to their previous posts.

"The construction for housing and living areas for the currently smeeting Irkens, Irkens with smeets both bonded and non, and reproductive active Irkens that are remaining on Irk are at 91.03 percent completed. All medical and smeet care facilities are completed. A large recreational facility is nearing completion as the reproductive active Irkens needed something to keep them occupied and entertained.

"Following the Tallest lead, the parental units of smeets have worked out with their medical advisors a schedule that allows for them to return to their duties, but also care for their smeet. Several requests for transfers have come from the parental units to continue to work on Irk or nearby planets and space stations. Transfers are being processed in order to allow the parental units to work and care for smeets. Non-reproductive active Irkens from those sites are being transferred to empty posts to even out Irken numbers."

"Good, good," Eight said. "This was a concern of the Irken commanders on Devastis who lost a great number of Irkens to the breeding project. We have received the request for transfer from those non-reproductive Irkens and are working through the lists provided to find possible recruits into the Irken army. A new program is being developed to train Irkens that were not originally chosen to become soldiers. While this is not an ideal situation, we on Devastis understand the logic behind such movements."

"Progress is being made," Eleven nodded. "Readjustment of Irk's purpose is being made from a smeetry and training ground, to a smeet raising facility until the smeets are old enough for DNA extraction. At which point the first group of Irken smeets will have reached optimal growth."

"Yes," One said. "On this topic I have a motion that I would like to present, so that we may deliberate and prepare for the future." One paused to make sure she had the full attention of the others. "I propose that we make the new facilities on Irk permanent and continue the breeding project even after DNA is collected for clones."

There was a moment of stunned and thoughtful silence at One's suggestion.

"But all Irkens capable of having their reproductive functioning activated have already been sent to Irk," Five said. "In your last report many of the Irkens selected have become Union pairs and while there are several hundred Irkens left un-mated not all have expressed interest in smeets."

"Yes, and even Irkens that already smeeted once and some that have smeeted a second time, have begun asking their medical advisors about being able to mate _without_ having a smeet," Seven reminded them of the last report from Irk. "We have received several reports from soldiers that are part of the program that they wish to return to their previous work after raising their smeet to their maximum growth period. I thought medical staff was looking into a way for Irkens in a Union to continue to mate without getting a smeet? Some even expressed interest in removing their reproductive spooch sacks."

"Indeed, we have received such reports," Two said nodding to One that he would take over this question. "The medical staff on Irk is currently researching this matter as we have seen how important it is for Irkens in a Union to reaffirm their bonds. Many have also requested that when their smeet becomes grown that they remain together when transferred back."

"Then how will the program continue? Do you plan on stopping the previous agreements of allowing Irkens to choose to not to make more smeets?" Four asked.

"No," Two said. "We will honor those agreements."

"My fellow Brains," Three said nodding to Two. "Following what ancient records have shown, we believe that once the natural born smeets have reached their maximum growth, they too will become reproductive capable Irkens."

This time there was not silence after this announcement as all nine other brains began computing loudly. Some were excited, others worried, but all were discussing what that would mean for the continuation of the Irken race.

"How will we keep track of them without PAKs?" Eight asked with great concern. "How will we download training programs?"

"How will we do evaluations?" Ten asked.

"How will we program them to worship and follow the Tallest?" Six asked.

"These are all problems we will need to solve regardless if we continue the breeding program or not," One said. "Adding PAKs to the natural born smeets will not work. The PAKs themselves are artificial lifeforms. In the best case scenario attaching them to the smeets would result in a clash of functioning and could cause the deletion of the smeet's mind, or at the worst it would kill the smeet." This announcement caused a murmur of anxious processing.

"We need to find a new way to train the natural born smeets. Just sending them to the Academy when they are grown will not be enough. They will become trained soldiers, but that will not guarantee that they will be completely loyal to the Empire. While the smeets are young we need to teach them how great the Irken Empire is and how they should devote their lives to the betterment of the Irken race and worship the Tallest," One continued and as she spoke she called up a holographic blueprint to sit on the table.

"Two, Three, and I have processed this problem and we are in agreement that the best solution would be to create early learning facilities for the smeets on Irk. Many other species that organically reproduce do this as well. The smeets will be sent to learn from specially selected Irkens that will teach them about how great the Empire is and how they should act as Irkens of the Empire."

"How long will construction of these facilities take?" Four asked knowing that several of these buildings would need to be constructed to fit all the smeets that were growing.

"After completing the current construction of the living areas, construction will start on these teaching facilities. They should be ready and the teaching Irkens picked and properly trained within one half of an Irken year," Three said. "We propose calling these learning facilities the Junior Academy."

"All in favor of these learning facilities say _beep_ ," Twelve said.

Twelve enthusiastic _beeps_ rang through the room.

"Hopefully, this will settle any unrest over the growth of the natural born smeets." Twelve said. "And I suggest we revisit the topic of what to do with the natural born smeets when they are reproductive ready for another time."

"Actually," One cut in. "If these learning facilities are effective they will be able to help teach the smeets what to do when they begin to express interest in mating. Also all the smeets will be together in a group and we will be able to observe the mate-choosing process as it would have been done with our Irken ancestors. This is valuable information to update and fill in the gaps of our natural history archives."

There was a murmur of agreements among the twelve. After which, One made a slight noise to regain their attention.

"I do have one more motion to put forward. I have been processing this for sometime as well. These new steps forward; the continuation of the Irken race, the Tallest successful mating and the creation of their smeet and our own evolution all have one thing in common," One pointedly looked at Ten, Eleven and Twelve and the three sighed deeply. A few of the others caught on and started to mouth 'no' or hold their head in their hands before One even said the name, "Zim."

This name was met with a collective groan.

"You can't deny that without his involvement all this would be impossible!" One said firmly.

"But it's Zim!"

"He caused a blackout on my planet!"

"He caused issues since he was a smeet."

There was an overload of comments as many of the brains did not see him in a favorable light. One waited until the voices died down, she couldn't blame them for their instinctual responses towards the...unique Irken. He had been an outlining factor and in all honesty a great risk to their quest for domination as well as the general population. One of the best decisions the Tallest made was to send the Irken as far away as possible from the Irken Empire. However, even there he managed to cause trouble, which prompted his existence evaluation.

Despite the power the brains had on Judegementia, it was against their policy to summon Irkens for evaluation on their own. They could only judge Irkens that have been brought to their attention by those in charge. If needed they would then declare the heaviest punishment an Irken could receive, PAK deletion.

When an Irken died their PAK data would be uploaded to the brians' database and logged away into their archives. This was how they had been able to find the ancient data on smeeting. However, most of the information was incomplete as by the time PAK data was routinely archived there were very few natural born smeets left and most of their archives were of memories of a dying knowledge.

Many Irkens found their data uploading to be akin to what other species referred to as the 'afterlife'. To have your data deleted because of a grave crime, where the deed would be documented but not the Irken themselves, was the greatest punishment an Irken could face. Indeed Irken Zim's crimes and the countless damage and death he had caused in his relatively short lifespan was worthy of such a punishment. The brains on Judgementia declared him defective and were going to delete his PAK.

To delete a PAK first the brains must connect and upload the PAK data into an isolated space where it can then be deleted. However, whether they wanted to acknowledge it or not, Zim's PAK had somehow become like a virus. The moment they connected to his PAK they had become infected with whatever anomaly caused the Irken's willful uniqueness. Not one of them said it but the knowledge was filtered between them, Zim's PAK was incapable of being deleted.

When the change first began and they realized that they had become infected with whatever had been in Zim's PAK, there had been initial panic among them but it was soon managed. They were supercomputers, built to guide an entire Empire. Gaining emotions and unique personalities was something they had to overcome. And that was nothing compared to the discovery that Zim's PAK was now remotely connected with their systems, more closely than any other Irken's PAK, and despite their best efforts the connection could not be deleted.

So with great annoyance they grew to accept the occasional report sent directly to their databases about the Irken. However, it was one such report that came with the knowledge that Zim had become sexually responsive and his reproductive functionings had activated. Like all the other reports they filed this one in their 'Zim-do-not-ever-open' file and found one more reason to keep the Irken as far from the populace as possible. However, when the threat of a DNA crisis became known, they found that data to much more interesting and necessary.

It took a several months and several meetings with all the brains present as well as continued information from Zim's PAK and some information from the Irken himself (given to the Control Brains through Head Medic Mik, they wanted as little actual contact with the Irken as possible) for them to develop a plan to save the Irken population. They came up with the plan to create a program that would allowed for the reproductive processes to be activated in other Irkens. To develop such a program they spent a long time on trying to isolate that unique aspect of Zim's PAK that allowed for reproductive PAK functioning. Once isolated and repeatedly run through rigorous testing for safety, they finally had their race-saving program. They worked with Zim (via Head Medic Mik) to gain information about how to best move their plan forward when the time came.

An estimated ten months before the smeeteries ran out of DNA, the brains used their network to secretly send out the program they developed. When the smeeteries did run out they shut down their systems for three days in order to run through their databases of every single Irken's PAK and see which Irkens the program had taken to. Their predictions had been correct that not every Irken was compatible with the program. They still didn't know what caused some Irken's PAKs to be different or able to accept the program they had made, but after the three days were over they had their completed list.

"Without Irken Zim our race would be doomed to extinction," One said loudly and firmly, daring the others to argue her logic, but none of them did. "We have substantial data to show that of the Irkens that have smeeted, their work output quality has increased. Look at the Tallest, while much easier provoked, they have become much more productive when they are activity working. On Irk we have seen similar trends. Smeeting Irkens have decided to follow their Tallest in example and after smeeting are finding time to continue to contribute to the Empire. Even if they cannot go back to their previous posts, many have found suitable tasks to accomplish on Irk.

"Overall, population contentment has increased even among Irkens without smeets as pictures and videos of the new smeets have been spread out on Irken information networks and communication channels. This is all due to Irken Zim's efforts, yet he is receiving none of these benefits as on Earth Zim has no access to such videos," One said.

"You can't be suggesting we reconnect his PAK to the network?" Ten asked. "It's risky enough that we allow his base's computer to access the shopping channel."

"No, of course not," One assured her. "But you must see that there is a great injustice being done to Irken Zim. He cannot see any smeets from other Irkens and even though he is capable there is no Irken partner for him to breed with. Yet it is because of him that all other Irkens are able to have smeets, yet no Irken knows this, or will ever know this," One said. This of course had been part of the agreement with Irken Zim and both parties were in agreement on this point.

"How do you suggest we reward him then?" Eight asked. "With monies? He has no need for them. He has unlimited access to any supplies he needs to survive, this was agreed with the condition that he would not leave Earth."

"He needs a smeet," One said unable to contain herself and blurted out the idea that had been burning on her processor for weeks now. Of course, this was met with vast opposition. "Wait, let me compute," One said holding up her hands to calm the others. "Let me first say that I am not suggesting that we send him a smeet from Irk, nor should we send any other Irken to him or him to other Irkens to mate with."

"How then can we give him a smeet? The cloning facilities are still shut down," Four pointed out.

"Despite all odds Irken Zim has found a mate on Earth, their bodies are closely enough related that mutual mating can occur. I suggest we allow for the manipulation of Irken and foreign DNA to create a hybrid smeet. We can send a DNA cloning incubator that they can use to manipulate the Earthanoid's DNA to be compatible with Zim's. It will take some experimentation and a mastery of biological knowledge to make a hybrid smeet possible, but I believe it can be done," One said proud of her logic.

"But...why?" Eleven said leaning over the table to spread out their arms. "What possible benefits could there be in having a lesser Irken hybrid? And why to Zim?"

"The Irkens with smeets are reported to be more content and more productive," One jabbed at the table to emphasis her point. "Haven't the Tallest finally found balance because of their smeet? Wouldn't it benefit us all if Zim became even the slightest bit more capable? Maybe his PAK would finally stop sending us reports. Also I have read over the data about the earthanoid. He is agile, has high intelligence for a foreign species and is tall. And even though he is of an impressive height his body requires much less sustenance to maintain itself. But most importantly, he is the partner that Zim has chosen. If this earthanoid was Irken they would be in a Union."

"How is that relevant?" Five asked, he understood the importance of a Union but saw no relation between Zim bonding with another species and with the need for a smeet.

"Earthanoids have significantly lower lifespan than Irkens," One said looking at the others pointedly.

"Yes, so why would we want a short living hybrid?" Nine asked sensing that One had a greater point to make, but he wasn't able to guess what it was.

"Even if the smeet has a shorter lifespan than other Irkens it would still live longer than Zim's bonding partner. By my calculations, even with Zim having access to advanced Irken medical technology the earthanoid will at most live another eight Irken years, roughly eighty years on Earth, which means," One said slowly waiting for the others to catch on. "That in only eight years Zim's non-Irken partner will be dead," One paused but besides a few almost sympathetic looks, they did not understand. "Which means," she continued. "That Zim will be alone on Earth," again they did not get it. "With no one to keep him occupied," That did it.

Two and Three gasped, their reactions causing the brains from Devastis to catch on.

"You think… he'll leave?!" Eight said horrified at the idea of Zim loose in Irken space.

There was a murmur of terror from the other brains as they picked up on One's point as well.

"The earthanoid is keeping Zim occupied and content on Earth. I would even go as far to say that Zim is more balanced. This can be proven by the simple fact that the Earth is still intact and hasn't been met with disaster yet. If that key factor in keeping Zim contained dies…" One trailed off knowing that each brain could compute the various possible outcomes of such a future.

"One," Three began turning to speak directly to her fellow Irk-bound brain. "I can see your logic in predicting that a smeet created from his bonding partner and Irken DNA will continue to keep him occupied after the death of his partner, but you can't discount the possibility that this smeet might just become another Zim," she said unable to imagine the horror of two Zims in the universe.

"Yes, that is a possibility," One nodded. "However, that is why it is important to create a hybrid. If the earthanoid is able to balance Zim now, the combination of Earth DNA and his DNA could yield a favorable hybrid. And if not," One spread her arms out in a shrug. "At least the hybrid will not have a PAK that can cause damage. A PAKless Irken hybrid, even with Zim's personality is not nearly as great of a threat as Zim himself."

This logic calmed many of the brains down and they began to accept One's proposal. The merits of keeping Zim far away from the Irken Empire were high. Reviewing the data again, it was a good plan. It did indeed reward the Irken Zim for his efforts towards the Irken race, and if the hybrid proved useful adding a variety of DNA to future cloned smeets wasn't completely unfathomable. If they could create Irken clones in the future that were taller and able to survive with less sugar intake that could prove useful for creating future soldiers. And if they continued the breeding program into the next generation of smeets, having more durable DNA to make foot soldiers and drones would allow for the Irkens with smeets to have cushy jobs and stay with their smeets longer without having a lack of personnel in other departments.

"All in favor of having Irken Zim create a hybrid with his earthanoid bonding partner say _beep_ ," Twelve said putting the motion forward.

Twelve _beeps_ sounded and their discussions were finished. They didn't leave the space but instead focused on laying out plans to accomplish the motions they agreed on. There was much work that needed to be done and overseen. The three brain on the Massive would also need to schedule a meeting with Head Medic Mik to discuss their new plans regarding Irken Zim.

For the next Irken year things were going to be very busy.

* * *

 

_One Irken year and 24 months later_

 

"Zim," Dib began his strained voice sounding heavy in the silence that stretched between them. Both of them sat before the blank screen in the living room. Since the call ended the computer raised up the communication screen and Dib watched it retreat back into the ceiling. "We can't-"

"-I know!" Zim snapped cutting Dib off. "I know," he repeated his voice losing his previous anger, it sounded empty. A numbed voice, so full of emotion that everything cancelled itself out into a void feeling. He hated this feeling. He hated those who provoked this feeling, but not the cause, never the cause.

Dib felt the void too, but it didn't stay empty for long, panic and fear began to fill it. Running a hand through his hair he stood and began pacing. "We need a plan. We can't… We can't…" Dib repeated despair filling him. He stopped and turned to face Zim. "We have to run."

Zim sighed deeply. "I know," he said looking down at his clenched hands. He knew all too well. He also knew the risk and what they would be sacrificing. He also knew that it might all be in vain. "But my PAK…they can track us."

"We'll find a way to stop it," Dib said coming to kneel in front of Zim and place his hands over Zim's clenched ones. Seeing him look so devastated, so hopeless and blaming himself, it pushed away Dib's despair. If Zim wasn't full of insane confidence and self-worth he wasn't Zim. "We have some time. We'll bring the lab into the ship, we finished that thing long ago in case this happened, right? We suspected this could happen, we knew from the beginning. We can stay one step ahead, if we run now it will buy us some time. I'll help, we'll figure this out. You're Zim, there isn't anything you can't do," Dib said trying to instill some spirit back into him.

"I am Zim," he said weakly at first, but he could feel that numbness fading before Dib's confidence in him. "I am Zim," he said firmly standing and shaking Dib's hands off. "I am amazing. I-" he cut himself off as his antennae perked up. Dib heard it a moment later, the sounds of a bus. "I will go prepare the lab to be transported," Zim said and bolted out of the living room. Opening the fridge he paused and turned back to Dib. "You prepare everything else," he declared then stepped into the fridge and rode the elevator down to the underground base.

Despite everything Dib had to chuckle. Zim put on a stubborn front, but of the two of them Zim was the weak link. Dib could understand why though, and in a way he found it ironic that he usually had to play the bad cop and the bearer of bad news. His smile quickly faded as he thought about the news he was going to deliver. He sighed, weary once more. How was he going to tell their daughter that they had to flee Earth?

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KEY
> 
> Control Brains : Names, Location, Gender.
> 
> One- Irk- previously male, now female
> 
> Two- Irk- previously neutral, now male
> 
> Three- Irk- female
> 
> Four- massive- female
> 
> Five-massive - male
> 
> Six- Massive- neutral
> 
> Seven - Devastis- female
> 
> Eight- Devastis- neutral
> 
> Nine- Devastis- was neutral, now male
> 
> Ten- Judgementia- female
> 
> Eleven- judgementia- neutral
> 
> Twelve- judgementia - male
> 
>  
> 
> The End! well... sort of. As you can tell the next story will be about the next generation of Irkens. All your favorite characters will be there, but the next gen will be the ones to take center stage. 
> 
>  
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing out Purple's and Red's relationship. I like having them very balanced. Purple is stubborn and likes being in charge, Red is more relaxed but more socially savvy. Both are ruthless, but Purple a little more so. In their relationship Red finds himself irresistibly drawn to Purple, and having all of Purple's attention on himself is most pleasing to him. Purple admires Red and respects him like he has no other Irken. When Red act submissive to him, when Red praises Purple above himself it throws him off his game so much that his headstrong and stubborn nature takes a back seat.
> 
> It was really important to me when writing this to not make Purple into a submissive character just because he is the bottom in the relationship. I know in a lot of other RAPRs Red becomes the aggressive strong one and is suave and in control, and I wanted to keep that arrogance of his character but not lose Purple's arrogance either. I wanted Purple to be in control and not be labeled as 'the submissive one'. However, Red isn't really submissive either. He does tend to let Purple do what he wants, and in the middle of things Red really isn't in the head-space to think about being in charge, unlike Purple who thrives off that in-control feeling. 
> 
> Red has always been in charge of his life, so having Purple take charge and be in control is a new and kinky experience for Red. On Purple's end he craves control and loves the power he feels when mating with Red. However, having Red (whom he respects) act submissive and docile allows Purple to let a little of that need to control go. When Red acts submissive to him Purple's defenses lower which allows the sneaky Red to slip in and gain the upper hand, while still maintaining the illusion of Purple being in charge. In this way, Purple can let Red be truly dominant without having to go against his desire to be in charge, and Red can be dominant without making Purple feel less than he is. If Red didn't go about it this way, there is no chance that Purple would lower his guard enough for Red to gain control in their mating since Purple has his unconsciousness need to be dominant. 
> 
> See! Balanced in all the best kinky ways!
> 
> Also in case it wasn't super clear at the end, the last part with Zim and Dib takes place roughly 12 (Earth) years after the last scene with the Tallest and Maroon. Making Maroon at this point in time roughly 14 (Earth) years old. The next story will pick up about 3-5ish years from this point. 
> 
> Again thank you all for reading and staying with me! I hope this was as fun for you to read as it was for me to write. I feel accomplished for finally finishing a story!
> 
> See you in The Hybrid Project.


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